Rooibos Tea -- not legal, herbs & thoughts on SCD

[Guest guest]

Jazz,

No, the reason rooibos tea isn't legal isn't " because it's an herb " . Keep

in mind that plenty of herbs and spices are permitted in SCD cooking.

(Hades, I'd be doomed if herbs and spices weren't allowed. You can't do

Louisiana cooking without herbs and spices!)

The problem is what's in a specific herb, be it mucilagenous herbs, or

other polysaccharides, or even the specific effect of a given herb. For

example. the fennel which you asked about earlier as being " good for gut

cramps " , well... according to Healthnotes.Info, " The major constituents,

which include the terpenoid anethole, are found in the volatile oil.

Anethole and other terpenoids inhibit spasms in smooth muscles, such as

those in the intestinal tract, and this is thought to contribute to

fennel’s use as a carminative (gas-relieving and gastrointestinal tract

cramp-relieving agent). Related compounds to anethole may have mild

estrogenic actions, although this has not been proven in humans. Fennel is

also thought to possess diuretic (increase in urine production), choleretic

(increase in production of bile), pain-reducing, fever-reducing, and

anti-microbial actions. "

Take a look at that -- it works by inhibiting spasms, ie, slowing down

motility (which is also what chamomile does) which is exactly what you

don't need if you're dealing with constipation.

In other words, fennel is good stuff, but you don't want to be drinking it

all the time. One reason Elaine objected to many herbal beverages was that

people would find one they liked and over do. (That was also her concern

with people substituting homemade nut milks for dairy as beverages on a

daily basis. Or they would misunderstand the uses. A bit of fennel in, say,

two pounds of pepperoni sticks, or used as a flavoring for fish is a very

different issue from drinking fennel tea on a daily basis.

And there's also the preparation method.

An infusion is what we commonly think of as " tea " . It's tea made from

leaves, flowers and light material. To prepare a tea, place 1-2 teaspoons

of herbal tea material (to be SCD legal, this should be only peppermint,

spearmint, or menta crispa) into a brewing utensil of your choice and place

in a 6-8 oz size cup. Then add 6-8 oz of boiling water and allow to steep

for up to 3-5 minutes. Increase the quantity of material accordingly if

using a teapot. For a more " medicinal " effect steep 15-30 minutes. Teas

made this way will keep refrigerated for 24 hours. We, of course, often

keep iced tea for longer, but its " medicinal " qualities are lessened.

A decoction is a tea made from bark, roots, seeds, twigs and berries. These

are absolutely SCD illegal. For a comparison of methods with " infusion, " to

make a decoction, one would place 1-3 tablespoons of cut herb, seed, root,

bark, etc into a pot of 16-32 oz of water and allow to sit in cool water

for at least 5-10 minutes. The water should then be brought to a slow boil,

then turned down to a simmer for 10-30 minutes. (This depends on the

strength of the tea esired.) After simmering, strain and drink. A decoction

will keep about 72 hours if kept refrigerated.

The problem with so many herbal teas which are recommended for gut issues,

like your fennel tea, is that a lot depends on how they are prepared.

I can drink plain brewed black tea full strength with no issues now -- I

diluted it carefully at the beginning of the diet. I don't drink it daily;

it's a weekend treat for me. However, a friend of mine brews tea in a

coffee percolator, and the stuff is literally opaque. I tried one small cup

of it, and had diarrhea within the hour. Same tea -- just how it's

prepared.

Rooibos is illegal partly because it's not on Dr. Haas' list of permitted

beverages, since it wasn't known in the U.S. when he was alive, and partly

because of some issues with certain of the antioxidants it contains in

relation to auto-immune diseases and gut disorders. I remember having a

discussion on this with my SCD mentor, Krivel, who had done some

research into it and I regret that I can't remember, or find, exactly what

it was she sent me about the rooibos. All I remember is that the conclusion

was that rooibos wasn't a good idea for SCDers.

I'd ask her, but she's having a bad time at the moment with her RA as the

remicade infusions aren't helping. , btw, is, in my opinion, a real

miracle -- her doc once described her gut as looking like bloody lace.

About 14 months later, on SCD, he said he'd never have believed she was the

same patient if he hadn't diagnosed her himself, because her gut was

completely healed. It is from that I learned the absolutes of

fanatical adherence. Although talk about RESEARCH! Wow! You ought to see

some of the stuff we threw back and forth when she was feeling better!

In point of fact, Elaine did add new stuff -- like the Kedem juices and so

forth. SCD itself isn't carved in stone, but the parameters of make your

own, make your own, make your own as well as no starches, no disaccharides,

no grains, etc. are.

I try, as best I can, to answer " why " as well as what, but I'm living in a

hurricane devastated city with still flakey electricity, and I'm dealing

with some serious health issues of my own at the moment.

The thing that so many people have a hard time dealing with is working

within the parameters of SCD, instead of trying to change those parameters.

There are ways to work within the parameters and still handle unique

situations such as yours. I sure as heck didn't want to make my own onion

and garlic powders, or my own yogurt, or my own tomato sauce, because that

was time away from other things I was working on. But I found that in the

long run, it was easier to just do SCD than to try to get the stuff I was

used to declared legal.

<wry grin> I've done a number of experiments with foods which aren't legal,

but which I liked and wanted to use and every time I've discovered that

Elaine was right about pre-prepared foods. I've probably also set my

healing back a good bit with such experiments!

And I've learned that when I have a reaction to an experiment, that if I

want to feel better, I should pull the experimental food. At once.

I also don't talk about these experiments on the list until AFTERWARDS! <g>

You think Patti and some of the other moderators are strict, trust me, you

haven't lived until you've had your hands smacked electronically by

Turet, owner of the Long Island List. (And yes, I have... I made the

mistake of talking about ch---l--e.)

-- Marilyn (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

Undiagnosed IBS 25 Years, SCD Five Years

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund