When I was having a conversation with a co-worker this past week I couldn’t help but notice she had a pretty severe cold. What I found unusual is the fact that I see her suffer from a common cold several times a year. As we talked about it, she pointed out that in the several years she’s known me, she has yet to see me sick. I was quick to say that wasn’t true but as I drove home that night I realized that she was absolutely correct. I have not had anything but a slight sore throat in nearly five years and even that barely lasted two days. Since then I have thoroughly analyzed my past five years to see what, if anything, I have done different. As far as diet is concerned I did cut out all fast food around four years ago and began making healthier food choices since but nothing extreme. I usually start my day with a glass of orange juice but I’m not convinced that a little bit of vitamin c is warding off these colds my son brings home from school. In fact I can remember he came home from school with a cold one day about five years ago and shortly after I got the same cold, only for me it lasted nearly a month. No matter what I did, I could not get over the cold. I am left wondering why if I was so sick then and he gets what seems to be the same cold every year, why I am seemingly immune to it. At one point this year everyone in the house was down with a cold for a few days. I was taking care of three sick people and yet I was fine, not one symptom. How could this be? I was the one who always got sick. Every time the seasons changed, I would get sick.

I can remember a trip to a doctor I had about five years ago when we first moved to our new place. I was going to get a regular checkup but I also wanted to have a specific question answered. Why am I unable to relax? For months it seemed difficult for me to relax. I blamed this on the stress from my job and the traveling involved. This inability to relax seemed to cause me to not be able get enough sleep and the next day I would have no energy. The doc and I discussed a few things and he asked a few questions. He asked me if there was anything that I thought helped me relax. I told him that I began drinking bourbon a few weeks ago and that I did feel that on the nights I drank bourbon I felt relaxed. I felt a little less on edge. He sort of laughed and asked about how much bourbon. I immediately held up two fingers and told him about this much and I sip it throughout the evening. I told him I don’t get intoxicated or feel the effects from it. He asked how many times a week do you do this? About one or two times I told him. He asked me if I feel better and more relaxed on those nights. Yes, I said, I feel great. Well it’s easy then, he told me, drink more bourbon. Now I could tell when I first met this doctor that he was more into natural remedies, but bourbon, no doctor would tell me to drink. I asked him about it. He told me it was simple, drinking bourbon a few more times a week wouldn’t hurt me and he showed me the recommended amount of alcohol per day. He told me that I was under a fair amount of stress which was preventing me from relaxing, getting good sleep, and giving me less energy for the next day. Problems that are far worse than having a few small drinks throughout the week. I went home thinking in a way I have a prescription for bourbon.

In the weeks after that visit I increased my bourbon consumption slightly and the results showed by my ability to relax and get a good nights sleep. Fast forward several years and here we are. After the initial conversation with my co-worker I found the internet to be filled with websites that say whiskey is filled with antioxidants and has numerous health benefits, including preventing the common cold. Could this be true? Is bourbon my magic elixir? I’m still not sure but I can tell you that after drinking whiskey a few times per week for five years, I have not been sick. It is the only significant change in my diet and the only explanation I can find. I believe a lot of this came from me finding what really helped me unwind and relax. If you are interested in reading about some of the health benefits that are associated with whiskey, you should do a simple search online. There are plenty of websites out there. I am in no way advising anyone to take my advice on this. If you are suffering from any medical condition you should always consult a doctor like I did. I am interested in seeing if anyone else has had similar results. If you have, feel free to let me know by visiting the contact page.