Now that the cold and flu season is in full swing (witness the drippy red noses everywhere you look), it’s time to make a big batch of Dr. Ziment's Garlic Chicken Soup. We discovered this aromatic mixture while tracking down foods that double as medicine. Chicken soup was top of the list because pulmonary specialists have found that it actually helps clear the airways and reduce inflammation. But this spicy version is practically a wonder drug for head colds -- and it tastes amazing, especially if you love spicy food.

Devised by cold-and-cough expert Irwin Ziment, MD, who was chief of medicine at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center when he cooked it up, the soup gets much of its power from red pepper flakes. They contain capsaicin, known as a fast, effective decongestant. In addition, the hefty dose of garlic -- 30 cloves, although they cook down to produce a much milder, sweeter flavor than one would expect -- loads the soup with enough phytochemicals to give it infection-fighting powers.

Dr. Z recommends 1 cup three times a day, and inhaling the vapors is part of the prescription. Soon, you'll be breathing again.

Dr. Ziment’s Garlic Chicken Soup
The spicier the soup, the better it will be at clearing your head, so be generous with the red pepper flakes -- just don't make the soup so hot you can't tolerate it.
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cups sliced carrots
2 garlic heads, about 30 cloves, peeled
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed, or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 bay leaf
Dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a stockpot; bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, stir well, warm if necessary, and serve, or freeze in small containers.

Sick of getting sick?  Here’s one way to chase pesky colds away.

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With 2008 just around the corner, there's no better time than now to give your body a healthy, fresh start! Plus, if you're thinking about lowering your weight -- and your RealAge -- "eating clean" is a great first step. Add these 10 foods to your grocery cart and you'll get three terrific benefits:

1. Liquids to flush out the body while pouring in the nutrients.
2. Fiber to keep your GI tract fit.
3. Foods that energize cleansing enzymes in your liver, the body's built-in detox center.

The Top 10:
1. Leafy green vegetables. Eat them raw, throw them into a broth, or add them to juices. Their chlorophyll helps swab out environmental toxins (heavy metals, pesticides) and is an all-around liver protector.

2. Lemons. You need to keep the fluids flowing to wash out the body, and fresh lemonade is ideal. It has vitamin C -- considered the detox vitamin -- which helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that’s easily flushed away.

3. Watercress.  Put a handful into salads, soups, and sandwiches. The peppery little green leaves have a diuretic effect that helps move things through your system. And cress is rich in minerals, too.

4. Garlic. Add it to everything -- salads, sauces, spreads. In addition to the bulb's cardio benefits, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out junk.

5. Green tea. This antioxidant-rich brew is one of the healthiest ways to get more fluids into your system. Bonus: It contains catechins, which speed up liver activity.  Here’s another beverage your liver loves.

6. Broccoli sprouts. Get 'em at your health-food store. They pack 20 to 50 times more cancer-fighting, enzyme-stimulating activity into each bite than the grown-up vegetable.

7. Sesame seeds. They're credited with protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. For a concentrated form, try tahini, the yummy sesame seed paste that’s a staple of Middle Eastern cooking.

8. Cabbage. There are two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver; this potent veggie helps activate both of them. Coleslaw, anyone?

9. Psyllium. A plant that’s rich in soluble fiber, like oat bran, but more versatile. It mops up toxins (cholesterol, too) and helps clear them out. Stir powdered psyllium into juice to help cleanse your colon, or have psyllium-fortified Bran Buds for breakfast.

10. Fruits, fruits, fruits. They're full of almost all the good things above -- vitamin C, fiber, nutritious fluids, and all kinds of antioxidants. Besides, nothing tastes better than a ripe mango, fresh berries, or a perfect pear.

Ultimate Detox Recipe
Easy Wilted Garlic-Sesame Salad
Toss dark green leafy vegetables in hot, garlicky oil for a cleansing -- and delicious – dish.
4 servings, about 65 calories each
1 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. spinach, stemmed,
   or 1 lb. swiss chard, stems sliced, leaves torn
   or 1 lb. mixture of spinach and watercress
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. sesame seeds for garnish
Warm oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir until lightly browned, about 45 seconds. Add greens (do in two batches if necessary) and toss until just wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Find more healthy recipes at the RealAge Recipe Center.

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It's that intense time of year again, when the lows are low and the highs are high. Here are our picks of uplifting foods that will banish the blues, keep you focused, and maybe even make you a little sexier. Bon appetit!

1. Peppermint: It's nature's drill sergeant, telling your brain to wake up and focus! Perfect for helping you handle all those must-do holiday details. The next time you're dragging, pop a piece of peppermint gum and listen to your brain say, "Can do!"

2. Dark chocolate: An ounce or two may be just enough to release the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Plus, you’ll get a three-way energy kick from chocolate's caffeine, theobromine, and phenylethylamine (a cousin of amphetamine). And the antioxidants in 70% dark chocolate do your arteries good, too. No wonder we crave the irresistible stuff.

3. Wild salmon (mackerel and herring, too): Logged more miles in a day at the mall than you usually do in a week on the treadmill? The accumulated anti-inflammatory action of omega-3 fatty acids in a fish platter or a grilled salmon steak can help ease the wear and tear on your tired body.

4. Half a dozen Blue Points: You get more zinc from six Blue Point oysters than you need in a day in order to fuel your production of testosterone -- the hormone that keeps both men and women in the mood for love. Oysters are also a storehouse of dopamine, the brain’s pleasure chemical.

5. An omelet: Just two eggs give you an entire daily quota of vitamin B12, a nutrient that's crucial to your brain's supply of good-mood chemicals. Make it a veggie omelet, add a whole-wheat bagel, and you'll be good to go for hours. . . and for few calories!

Get more get-happy tips.

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In the beginning, there was the Gardenburger. Today, there are more kinds of veggie burgers in the frozen-food aisle than you can shake a drumstick at. But the perennial question remains: Do they taste good? Yes -- at least the good ones do. And while they can be microwaved in a flash (a big plus when time's tight) like any burger, they taste even better if you throw them on the grill -- Weber or Foreman -- indoors or out.

To rate the tastes, we picked up where the experts left off: with two recent flavor tests done by Vegetarian Times and Consumer Reports. We started with each of their top five picks and did follow-up tests to narrow down to the best.

And the Winners Are . . .
RealAge Gold: Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties
110 cal., 3.5 grams fat, 350 milligrams sodium, 10 grams protein
This burger was seriously underrated in previous surveys; just don't expect it to taste anything like a BK Whopper. This is a real vegetable burger, with visible chunks of carrots, olives, chestnuts, and bell peppers. Once bitten into, the chewy, nongreasy burger unleashes a veggie flavor that’s a real standout. Plus, it's a bit lower in calories than many others.

RealAge Silver: Quorn Chick'n Patties
150 cal., 6 grams fat, 400 milligrams sodium, 9 grams protein
It’s possible that these taste better than chick'n! The soy-free patty cooks up crispy outside and juicy inside. Wrap it in warm pita bread with all the fixings, or chop it up and throw it in a spinach salad with some goat cheese and dried cranberries, or have it for breakfast on a whole-wheat English muffin.

One note: Quorn and most meatless "chicken" is made from mycoprotein, a fermented fungus that sounds icky but tastes surprisingly good. However, it has triggered food allergies in some people (as does soy, occasionally). There were zero problems in the tests, but still, better to be aware.

RealAge Bronze: Boca All American Flame Grilled
90 cal., 3 grams fat, 280 milligrams sodium, 14 grams protein
This one's for the beef lovers. Boca seems to have perfected the traditional, fast-food, charbroiled flavor, complete with the juiciness of fat without the actual grease. This soy-protein burger is as close to the real thing as you can get without eating red meat. It's also lower in calories and sodium than most of the brands tested, as well as higher in protein.

And if you've still got a soft spot for Gardenburger, try their Savory Portabella. It's low in calories (90) and came in fifth in our taste test, right after Boca Spicy Chik'n Patties.

Special Mention to . . .
What the tastiest veggie burgers lack in fat they often make up for in flavor-boosting sodium, and that includes our winners. While their sodium content still doesn't hold a candle to, say, a cup of Campbell's chicken noodle soup, which scores a staggering 1,780 milligrams, all top the 185 milligrams of sodium found in a plain Burger King hamburger (though, add a bun and ketchup, and that leaps to 580 milligrams). For a tasty veggie burger with less salt, try:
Morningstar Farms Grillers Original, which came in 7th on our taste test.
130 cal., 6 grams fat, 260 milligrams sodium, 15 grams protein

The Other Reward
Making at least some of your burgers veggie burgers does your body good in a simple, powerful way: Avoiding the saturated fat that red meat's filled with can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

It’s baaaa-con!  Or is it?  We’ve gathered the greatest fake bacon brands for you.

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