Here's a question for you. What do you do when you're sick? Do you go to the doctor and have him diagnose you and prescribe something? Or do you stay home and sleep and wait until it goes away? Or do you try some other method?

As a general rule, I almost never go to the doctor. Now, I know what you're thinking.

I go for broken bones and things like that, but aside from something extremely serious, I rarely go to the doctor. And as a whole, while I know it isn't for everyone, it works pretty well for me. Most of my family follows the same practice. We usually look for alternative methods for curing ourselves of things like colds and other maladies.

So, this is for anyone else who isn't a frequenter of the doctor's office. Here's a few ways to handle whatever it is you've come down with. These are all natural remedies. Now, don't worry. This won't be any weird and wacky stuff. The things that will be mentioned in this article are normal household things.

To start with, I should say that not everyone will like all of these methods. With that in mind, I'll begin with my brother's favorite method. Now, I don't particularly like this one, but he loves it.

Gargling apple cider vinegar.

Like I said, this is not my favorite. However, it is incredibly effective. My brother had a severely sore throat and he gargled apple cider vinegar multiple times a day for a couple days. By the third day, the sore throat was gone and he was better. He gargled it straight, but my recommendation would be to add some honey and water to cut it.

Garlic and honey.

This is usually my go-to method. My brother and I were sick with the same thing, so my throat felt like it was on fire every time I swallowed. I tried the apple cider vinegar, but couldn't stand the taste. Thus, we found this method. Here's what you do. You crush garlic or chop it into fine pieces. Then you add honey to it. And you can add as much honey as you like. Then eat it. The honey helps coat your throat, so it doesn't feel so sore. Both honey and garlic are antibacterial, so both would help get rid of whatever is ailing you. I would warn that you may not want to chew the garlic. Even crushed, it's pretty potent. It'll feel like it burned your tongue and all the way down your throat. Now, after the burn has subsided, your throat feels a bit better, so maybe you do want to chew the garlic. Just don't say I didn't warn you. I ate this mixture several times a day and felt better in about three days.

Gargle warm salt water.

Now this one isn't for getting rid of whatever malady is afflicting you. It's mainly to help ease a sore throat. And I know it sounds a little strange, but believe me, it actually works. Gargle the mixture, but don't swallow it.

Eat virgin coconut oil.

There's a variety of ways you can do this. You can melt it and put in tea, coffee or hot chocolate. You could eat it straight (not my favorite method). There's also a ton of recipes that utilize it. Virgin coconut oil is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal. It has a variety of other uses, but if you take it while sick, it usually nips whatever you have in the bud.

There's plenty more natural remedies and methods for curing yourself, but these are the ones my family uses the most often. I can vouch for the fact that they all work, but they won't be to everyone's liking. You could pick one and try that or do all of them at once.

Stay well!