Last week I highlighted my tincture, KS Allerease, and showcased the five star reviews this formula has. Today I wanted to bring up the other seasonal wellness formula I offer here, Anti-Hist, and just outline the differences so perhaps you can better decide which would be best for you.

A bit about the maker

Both of these herbal blends are Fortner Original Formulas! Victoria Fortner is the founder of Shawnee Moon, and I have continued producing all her original formulas because they are so loved and effective; while also continuing to expand and add my own. 

Victoria had so much practical experience creating blends for specific individuals and their specific concerns. She understood that no two people are alike. We all have our unique chemical make-up, susceptibilities and strengths. This is why you will see two different seasonal blends, multiple blends for immune support, and half a dozen sleep formulas! She would start with a base, then see how that person responded, then add or take away to the blend as needed. 

Choosing the right herbal blends

When you are starting out with herbs for supporting wellness, always keep this in mind. Less is often more when you are trying to determine how a formula works or not for you. Try one thing constantly for 2 weeks; Track your progress, write down how you feel, when, what other things are going on at the same time that might contribute to your health or not (what you eat/drink, who you see, what you’re doing, did you exercise or not, how’d you sleep, how that all affects your mental health, etc). 

You should know within that time if there is any change. Reevaluate: are you pleased with the results? Did it change for the better? Do you think it could have been more effective with a larger serving size? Do you think you could get just as good of results with a lower serving size? Maybe it would be best taken before a meal, or on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Or taking the servings spread out over the course of the day, or all at once before bed. 

Have the confidence to be proactive in your wellness

These are all things that you are capable of being in control of. With natural herbal supplements, the safety concerns are minimal. You just need some basic ground rules and then you need to be mindful of your own body. (Check out my Herbology 101 class series over on the Herb Classes page if you’re not sure where to start.) 

You have much more ability in promoting wellness in yourself than you think! Once you gain a little knowledge base of helpful herbs and oils a whole new world opens up to having more confidence in supporting your family’s health, instead of living a life reacting to illness. I’d say it’s ‘empowering’, but that term really assumes you didn’t have this power, and that someone else more powerful than you ‘bestowed’ this power on you. You’ve always had it; just maybe not the confidence to utilize that power. 

Of course the risks are much greater with prescriptions, which is why you should always adhere to your doctor’s directions for taking medicine, and never take prescriptions you were not prescribed!  

Do your research before adding any herbs or oils to your daily routine. Ask questions. Talk to your doctor. Start low, go slow. Less is more and you can always adjust things after your two week trial. Don’t expect everything to be a perfect fit/fix the first go-round. Wellness and the journey to it WILL look different for us all. Pray about your health and ask God to lead and guide you in a regime that would most glorify Him as you faithfully commit your health to His will.

KS Allerease VS Anti-Hist

Now let’s dissect these two formulas a bit and see just why Victoria might have chosen these specific herbs in each of these VERY different seasonal wellness blends!

KS Allerease:
uva ursi leaf – this herb supports the body’s normal inflammatory response (we been talking about this on the blog for a few posts over the past few weeks). Typically this herb is known as a kidney/bladder tonic, supporting healthy elimination (NOTE: mentioned for aiding labor, so likely one to avoid during early pregnancy),
marshmallow root – this is a calm soothing herb, it is especially helpful to promote healthy, clear, breathing; it’s a comfort during this season especially for when things settle in the chest,
dandelion root – the only reason I could guess this herb is in this formula is just to support the elimination organs (like liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas and other urinary tract systems) to do their normal job of clearing and filtering the blood,
ginger root – ginger is a warming herb. Warming herbs encourage healthy circulation, which when your circulation is good, all your normal healthy white blood cells, macrophages, and other immune system fighter-cells can get where they need to go best and do their job of kicking germs out. It’s also supportive of clear breathing, and soothing to mucous membranes (like the throat/lungs). (NOTE: suggested during menstruation for natural support. Avoid during pregnancy).

Anit-Hist:
onion skins – yellow and red, papery skins of onions contain quercetin a flavonoid responsible for the color and supporting the natural inflammatory process,
stinging nettle leaf – this herb is another obvious choice as it simply supports the natural histamine response. So it sort of helps hasten that process and puts it on it’s merry way. It is also just chock full of trace minerals and vitamins that support overall wellbeing,
licorice root – this is the marshmallow root of this formula! Soothing respiratory support comes from this root in this blend,
lemon balm leaf – with antioxidants and other constituents this herb contributes lots to this formula in again supporting the normal, healthy, histamine process. Again, go back and read my previous post about how inflammation and histamines are natural processes telling you your body is doing its job to keep you healthy,
ginger root – see notes above about ginger root.

You’re still reading?

Thanks for hanging in there til the end. This was a longer post to plan and write so I’m glad to see you made it all the way through it. What ways are you more confident about your health than you might not have been in the past? Have you noticed any specific people, knowledge or routines that have changed over the years that have influenced this confidence?

Continued reading for info I mentioned back to in this post:
“Calm down. It’s just allergies”
Herbs and oils for Seasonal Relief
Supporting Wellness during Seasonal Changes
KS Allerease – Product Highlight and Customer Reviews