Disclaimer: The Indianapolis Recorder does not provide medial recommendations. Those dealing with seasonal allergies or illnesses should always seek the advice of a medical professional before making any changes to their diet or health care regimen.
As the weather in Indianapolis gets colder and gloomier, many people may start to see a rise in common cold and allergy symptoms. Symptoms like a runny nose, congestion, sinus headaches and even upper respiratory issues become more frequent as the season changes.
A potential solution to these common symptoms is a change in diet and adding more herbs and natural products to one’s daily intake.
James Long, creator of the Live Project – a company offering natural juices and herbs that he said have immune-boosting properties – knows firsthand the benefits of juicing and herbal intake.
He began juicing after a doctor’s visit where they talked about the benefits it could provide for a lot of his health problems.
“I knew that I had high blood pressure; I was pre-diabetic, overweight, headaches, asthma. I just wasn’t feeling good all together, so I started off with my first drink, the Fountain of Youth.”
In the Fountain of Youth, he uses greens like kale, spinach and cucumber to help with diabetes and weight loss. For heart health, he adds ginger, orange, lemon, pineapple and green apple juice. After starting to see the juice’s benefits, he gave it to friends and family to try, and his business started to take off.
He began making other products like Purple Reign, which helps asthma and skin care and reduces allergy symptoms, and his Grandma’s Iced Tea, made with elderberries to boost the immune system and help with coughing, heart health and cholesterol levels.
“Herbal medicine has a lot of benefits: It’s affordable; it’s an immune function; better digestive health; it’s good for reducing stress, anxiety, enhancing cognition, balancing hormones, pain mitigation and it’s eco-friendly. There is an herb for every condition out there,” Long said.
Maya Barber, an Indianapolis native, also uses juicing to help with her overall health and energy. She started her juicing journey with a three-day juice cleanse, and she immediately saw a difference.
“Afterwards, the benefits I saw were more energy, mentally I felt clearer and just overall my body felt a lot cleaner,” Barber said.
For those wanting to know what products to use for specific symptoms or where to start on their juicing journey, the Live Project, Georgetown Market and Good Earth are local health and wellness stores with many natural ingredients and herbs and knowledgeable staff to help eager juicers get started.
To try some of Long’s products, visit liveproject1.com.
Contact Racial Justice Reporter Garrett Simms at 317-762-7847.
