Hello Reader,

Happy Friday! 💛

Living gluten-free isn't about being perfect -- it's about doing our best, learning from our mistakes, and hopefully laughing about them later.

This week I'm sharing a few of my more embarrassing gluten-free blunders, because, apparently, 14 years of living with celiac disease doesn't make me or anyone immune to dumb mistakes. 😅

I'm also going to share findings from a recent celiac study, and I have some exciting news to share about Love Me Gluten Free...

Let's dive in.

🤦‍♀️ 3 Really Stupid Ways I've Glutened Myself (So You Don't Have To)

After more than 14 years of living with celiac disease, you’d think I’d have this whole gluten-free thing figured out.

But I'm only human, and I’ve accidentally glutened myself more than once. It's rare, but it happens. And sometimes I miss something or genuinely didn't know something (hey, we're all learning and growing, right?).

Here are a few of my "what was I thinking" moments…

(1) I grabbed the wrong version of a product.

This one gets me more often than I'd like to admit.

Many brands make both gluten-free and regular versions of the same product, often in nearly identical packaging.

I've accidentally purchased the wrong one without thinking. I've done it with Goodles Mac & Cheese, Bob's Red Mill oats, and Van's Waffles.

Lesson learned: Examine packaging carefully and never assume a brand making gluten-free items is a dedicated gluten-free brand.

(2) I assumed “allergy-friendly” meant gluten-free.

I learned this one the hard way at a trade show in the U.K.

I saw a booth promoting "allergy-friendly" products, ate a sample, and shortly thereafter realized that allergy-friendly doesn't equal gluten-free. This allergen-friendly product contained wheat (but no nuts; that's why they claimed it was "allergy-friendly "). Ug!

I almost made the same mistake years ago when Abe's Muffins first came out. Their original muffins were free from many common allergens. But look closely at the label, and you'll see these muffins are made with wheat flour.

Lesson learned: Allergy-friendly and gluten-free are not interchangeable. Always look for a gluten-free claim and scan ingredient labels.

(3) I [almost] didn't ask the extra question I should have

A friend made a cake for her party using a gluten-free cake mix and even followed the high-altitude baking instructions (often a must here in Colorado).

She gave me a slice, and I was moments from putting it in my mouth, but then she stopped me.

"Wait, I just realized something," she said.

She told me she added extra flour because the instructions on the back of the box said to add more flour if baking at a high-altitude (which we do here in Denver).

It was, of course, wheat flour that she added.

OK, so I didn't quite gluten myself here. But I almost did, and I'm grateful she stopped me from taking that first bite.

Lesson learned: Ask questions. Lots of them. Trusting a well-intentioned friend who isn't gluten-free herself is a tricky thing.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has stupidly glutened herself! 😅

Hit reply and share some of the ways you've accidentally glutened yourself. I'll round up some of the best stories (anonymously!) for next week's newsletter.

Study Reveals the Hidden Burden of Celiac

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology confirmed something many of us have known for years: living with celiac disease is about so much more than avoiding gluten.

Researchers found that people with celiac disease reported more fatigue, greater limitations in daily life, more healthcare visits, and lower overall perceptions of their health -- even while following a gluten-free diet.

Reading those findings, I found myself nodding along.

Going gluten-free gave me my health back, but celiac disease sort of took away my freedom. We never get a day off from it. There's always that mental checklist running in the background: Can I eat here? Did they change the recipe? Should I ask one more question?

While it does get easier with time, it never really gets easy. And while our intestines may heal, the mental, emotional, and social burden of celiac disease never ends.

The Love Me Gluten Free Market is Here 🛍️

After hearing from so many of you asking where you could buy those gem products you'd discovered in your Love Me Gluten Free boxes, we decided to build something that didn't really exist -- a marketplace dedicated to the gluten-free brands we know and love.

Our goal was simple: create one convenient place where you could rediscover products you've loved in our boxes and discover new gluten-free favorites, too.

I'll be honest -- it took a little longer to build this than we expected.

There were plenty of kinks to work out behind the scenes, but we're finally at a place where everything is coming together, and that's why I'm excited to officially invite you to shop the Love Me Gluten Free Market.

You'll find products from many of the brands we've featured in our boxes, along with plenty of new discoveries. Even better, every Market order over $50 ships FREE. (Subscription boxes are excluded from this offer.)

And we're just getting started.

Our small-but-mighty team is adding new brands and products every week, so be sure to check back often because you never know what you'll discover next...

That's all for this week!

As always, thank you for being here and for making this community so supportive, encouraging, and fun.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay cool. ☀️

Sincerely,

Jenny

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Read about my journey to break up with gluten in my book, Dear Gluten, It's Not Me, It's You.

Visit Good For You Gluten Free for more tips and recipes to help you live your best gluten-free life.