It appears that I am very much a creature of habit when it comes to getting ill. I catch a cold at Christmas; it settles into my chest and eventually becomes bronchitis, which requires some antibiotics. I joke with my friends about always toasting the New Year with cough syrup, rather than champagne, but it’s also true, unfortunately. And I’m really, really tired of it, not to mention the expense of trying to find something that makes me feel human again. Last year, I began doing some research and experimentation with natural cold remedies that helped ease my suffering (and red nose) better than fancy store-bought syrups and pills.