Whenever someone I know gets a cold I tell them to “eat garlic!”  Garlic has powerful anti-viral properties.  Ayurveda has known this for centuries!  Many people who use garlic on a regular basis claim that they have immunity from any cold and flu viruses.  There are garlic capsules available now, and the upside is that you don’t get the odor associated with this root.  But there is no substitute for the real thing.  Garlic has hot, bitter, and pungent tastes.  It stimulates digestion and helps with overall rejuvenation.  Garlic can be added to sauces, or salads, or you can bake it and use it as a delicious spread on crackers or bread.  I recently saw an episode of “Dr. Oz” where they showed how we can help prevent, or even heal, an ear infection by putting a peeled clove of garlic in the ear.  Just place the clove in the ear (not far down of course!) and put a bandage over the ear to keep the clove in place.  Sleep with it in this way, and in the morning you will notice a big difference!