It’s that dreaded time of year again when most of us get sick with some sort of seasonal illness. The UK Health Security Agency is reporting flu cases. Covid and nationwide respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—all diseases that occur more frequently during the winter months.

With this in mind, a food expert has suggested a simple two-ingredient remedy that you can prepare yourself at home. This will not only help you avoid unwanted colds, but will also keep your gut happy.

In a video uploaded to him instagramProfessor Tim Spector, founder of Zoe Health, recommended creating “delicious” fermented garlic honey for this very reason. It sounds much more complicated than it is; All you need is half a jar of honey and a few peeled cloves of garlic.

“I’ll show you the simplest fermented food you can make,” he said. “Ingredients: garlic and honey. “If you can get raw and pasteurized honey, that’s the best.”

In the video, Tim showed how to make the gloves by adding them to honey and shaking them. He said: “I’m just going to rock it. I’ll leave it for about a week until the bubbles disappear.

“And it’s called wild fermentation because you’re using natural microbes that are in the air and actually in the garlic.”

The caption recommended leaving the mixture in a dark place to ferment, turning the jar upside down every day to ensure the garlic cloves remain submerged.

“You also want to open the jar every few days to ‘burp’,” she said.

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If the temperature is cold, it will take a little longer to ferment than if it is warm. He continued: “The longer you leave it the more it will continue to ferment and should last a year or more out of the fridge.

“The great thing is, if you’re impatient and want to try it during the fermentation process, it won’t bother it too much.”

Speaking about the health benefits of both ingredients, he said: “Garlic is packed with prebiotic inulin fiber to support your gut health and is thought to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties that can help fight colds and flu.

“Actually a randomized controlled test found that taking garlic extract caused three times fewer colds over a three-month period than taking a placebo.

“Similarly, honey has been shown to improve cough frequency and severity. human trials.

“You can eat fermented garlic honey as is to combat sore throats and colds, but it’s also a delicious ingredient to add to salad dressings, spread on roasted vegetables, and more.”