Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; substitute for spices

Hi all,
For Christmas my wife got me a new paleo diet cookbook, amazing recipes I would love to cook, many of them starch-free EXCEPT for the spices they use. I noted a number of recipes that make use of:
- chili powder
- fenugreek
- cumin
- dried oregano
- cayenne pepper

I imagine most of these dried spices contain starch.

Are there any direct substitutes one can use for these? (for chili powder, I suppose you can substitute diced jalapeno or habanero peppers, for example, for fenugreek I suppose you could get the real thing, not dried, if you live in the right part of the world)

Any tips/suggestions would be so appreciated!
Didier

What if you test each spice with iodine for starch? Maybe some don't have it.

I am wondering about things like licorice, tumeric as they are both roots. They do however have anti-microbial properties. So it'd be nice if I could take them.

I have tested but most test positive for starch.

I tested cumin from two different sources... one was starchy and the other was not. Not sure what the difference is. I do fine with it in moderation.

You may also be able to substitute some of the tastes with these:

http://www.supremespice.com/collections/products

I know some people do garlic on here, but I am weary... so I use garlic oil and garlic infused oils (infused with garlic oil, not chunks).

These things add a ton to my happiness.

I am wondering if cayenne pepper is starchy, as I have tested smoked paprika and it passed the iodine test... I just have not tried it yet to see how I do.