Eat Raw Garlic for Immune Health: An Easy Guacamole Recipe

This easy recipe is a great way to boost your immune health when you feel a cold coming on. Try to eat raw garlic throughout the day, unless it starts to upset your stomach. You really want to use fresh raw garlic, rather than the stuff in a jar, for the most immune health benefits.

Great Guacamole

1 ripe avocado (should be slightly soft but not spotted or mushy)
2 cloves of raw garlic
2 teaspoons lime juice (lemon juice will do in a pinch)
1/8 t salt
1 small, firm tomato, preferably roma
1/8 t red pepper flakes (optional)
bunch of fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Remove the pit of the avocado (A good trick to do this is to place the avocado on a counter, hack into the pit with a heavy knife, then hold the avocado in one hand and twist the knife with the other. Of course, in this case it doesn't really matter how you get the flesh off the seed, considering the next steps). Peel or scoop out the avocado, and put the flesh in a bowl.

Slice the tomato into several wedges and squeeze some of the seeds out if you like. Chop the flesh into small pieces. Peel the papery skin off the raw garlic, then mince it finely or crush it with a garlic press. Add the garlic, tomato, and other ingredients to the bowl. Mash the guacamole. Alternately, you can leave the tomato out of the mash and stir it in at the last minute if you prefer a chunkier style.

Serving Suggestions

Of course, this guacamole recipe is a great way to eat raw garlic if you like chips and salsa. You can also use it as a spicy sandwich spread, or top a chili or soup with a scoop. For a fresh approach, serve it as a dip with carrot sticks and other raw vegetables. Guacamole is a natural garnish for Mexican meals like tacos and burritos, but you can work it into lots of other types of dishes, too. This guacamole is so good that I sometimes end up finishing the bowl alone, with a spoon.

Immune Health Benefits

Raw garlic is a potent natural antibiotic, with anti-fungal and viricidal properties. It can also be quite stimulating, which is generally a good thing when you need an immune system boost, but may be a reason to make raw garlic an occasional complement to a balanced diet, rather than a regular staple.