There are many superfood elixirs & herbal remedies out there like Sambucol and echinacea -- and they are great!  But I love the idea that powerful remedies can also be made from the ingredients in our pantry - at no extra cost. And guess what?  We all have one of the most powerful herbal remedies against the common cold sitting right in our spice cupboard:

I love broth but when we make it, it takes up half of our fridge.  So, I'm pretty keen to eat it "pronto".  This is my favourite recipe for when we're down with a cold cuz it's broth based AND it's supercharged with foods which are high in ZINC. Zinc is an immune-boosting mineral that is successful at treating the common cold, recurrent ear infections and preventing respiratory infections.  Chicken, chickpeas and spinach are among the highest dietary sources in zinc.  And the chickpeas thicken the soup like a pasta would - for those looking for a nutritious gluten-free option.

There are few things better for you than broth.  My mother is the ultimate Broth Queen and when we were down with a cold, chicken soup was always on the menu.  But why is chicken broth so good for you when you're sick?

This post is a nod to my dad who is elixir-inventor extraordinaire. He introduced me to colloidal silver last summer and I've been using this little magic remedy to nip colds & sore throats in the bud. And when I say "in the bud", I mean in 24 hrs. Colloidal silver is a natural anti-bacterial and is available at most health food stores. HK folk can buy it on iherb.com and I believe IMI sells it too.