5 ways to combat colds and flu Mexican-style

David and I kicked off the holiday season nursing colds.

First David got a raging sore throat, body aches, and laryngitis. Then I got hit with a one-two punch of sore throat and exhaustion. Thanks to white blood cells and David’s tried and true Mexican first aid, we’re on the mend.

Before we get to what’s in the kit, a disclaimer: I have no medical experience and no scientific proof these have any medicinal value. But they are soothing, and when I’m sick, I’ll take it.

The kit

Gather the items below before you get sick and you’ll be set when you’re feeling under the weather. Keep them together in a basket or on a bathroom shelf and you won’t even have to do the work of remembering where it all is.

Tequila – Before every single dinner I had with my family in Mexico, my mother-in-law gave me a shot of tequila. She assured me it would protect my stomach by cutting the fat of the carne asada or carnitas or whatever was on the menu. I usually sneaked in a mixer with the shot, but I never did get an upset stomach, so I guess she was right. David says tequila is also good when you feel sad, or happy, or a friend comes over, or you have a reason to celebrate, or you just want an excuse to drink. I tried to get David to tell me how else it would help if one felt sick. He couldn’t be specific, but still insists it belongs in the first aid kit. I guess you could use it as a disinfectant.

Vick’s VapoRub – It seems like one either loves or hates the smell of Vick’s. We are a split house. David loves it. It reminds him of how his mom would take care of him when he was sick as a child. I hate it. You can put it under your nose, like my mom did to me when I was young. Or put it on your chest, like David’s mom did for him when he was little. I have to admit, though, it does clear the sinuses!

Halls Drops – When I was growing up, I sucked on cherry-flavored cough drops when I was sick. It was honestly more like candy than any sort of medicine. David pops Halls drops all day long when he’s sick. He’ll even drop a few into a cup of hot water and drink it like tea. Hard core! Unlike the cough drops of my youth, Halls actually has an active ingredient—menthol—that acts as a cough suppressant and an oral anesthetic. For me, it’s also effective at opening my sinus passages… in a more pleasant way than Vick’s VapoRub.

Lime – Every time I turn around, David is squeezing fresh lime juice into something. Aside from tasting delicioso, limes are also high in vitamin C. According to the USDA, a regular-sized lime has about 19.5 milligrams of vitamin C—that’s about 1/3 of its weight! Also known as ascorbic acid, that vitamin C is great for bolstering your immune system and cutting through the gunk in your throat. So, go ahead and squeeze it in your tea or water, in your chicken soup, and (when you’re feeling better) on your tacos.

Chicken soup – David makes a big pot of chicken soup anytime someone in our house is sick. I can’t find definitive research that proves the medicinal benefits of chicken soup, but in this case, we trust in folk wisdom. When David was sick this month, it was my turn to make the soup.