Splitting Hairs or Being Careful?

[LauraMG]

I'm on my second day of induction and I've been doing very well. Yay!

However, I am confused about herbal tea during induction...

The Tazo brand of African Red Bush has the following ingredients:
African Rooibos
Hibiscus flowers
Lemon Myrtle
Lemon Verbena
Orange peel (is this a cause for concern?)
Rosemary
Lemon balm
Natural flavours (this worries me)
Citric acid

I am totally aware that we are allowed teas that do not contain fruit juices or sugars, but doesn't orange peel contain fruit sugar? Or, am I getting really obsessive here?

Also, "natural flavours" could mean ANYTHING from sugar to MSG.

Because I wasn't sure, I gave my steeped cup of delicious-smelling tea to my fiance and poured myself a cup of hot water.

Although I also have a box of Sleepytime (by Celestial Seasonings) in the cupboard, I don't want to risk messing up my induction as I'm doing well otherwise.

What I'd REALLY like is for someone to tell me what kind of tea is completely legal (without a doubt) for induction. This way, I don't have to ask every time I find something new.

[mizski]

Originally Posted by LauraMG

Also, "natural flavours" could mean ANYTHING from sugar to MSG.

According to Tazo, the natural flavors ingredient is required by the FDA labeling code. For Tazo, this translates to their proprietary flavor mixes. They make it clear that consumers are welcomed to contact them for clarification...they are just not going to publish it. Tazo makes high quality teas so I don't think there is any junk in there.

RE: the orange peel. According to FitDay, 1 TBS of orange peel has 1g carb. One Red Bush tea bag has maybe 1/16 tsp of orange peel (maybe less) so the carbs from that ingredient would be negligible. The composition of orange peel is primarily fiber and oil and not sugars like in the actual orange fruit itself.

When looking at acceptable teas during Induction, we want decaf, no sugar, soy, actual fruits (my blueberry rooibos has real blueberries in it) or things like malt. Flowers, grasses and the miniscule amount of peel used to infuse flavor/aroma are fine.

IMO, make yourself another cup tea.

p.s. During Induction I had Rooibos/Red Bush tea with no problems. I'm in OWL now so I'm having the blueberry one now too.

ETA: Here's some more info on orange peel. As you can see, no sugar. It does have some fiber, vitamins and omega 3s in there.