Hello Reader,

I know I usually email you on Fridays, but with so much happening for Celiac Disease Awareness Month, I hope you don’t mind hearing from me mid-week too.

I’ve got a couple of quick things to share—and I promise it’ll be worth your time to scan this newsletter.

(1) Enter to Win an AMAZING Gluten-Free Getaway! ✈️ 🏠

BFree is hosting a dream vacation giveaway for our community, and I wanted to make sure you knew about it.

They're giving away a luxurious weekend getaway to The Inn Berlin, a dedicated gluten-free boutique hotel in coastal Maryland + an $800 travel voucher.

The grand prize winner will also receive goodies from BFree Foods, Savor by Suzie, Ghostfish Brewing Company, and a one-month subscription box to Love Me Gluten Free, which, as you know, is the gluten-free subscription box I created last year! 😊

A runner-up winner will also be swagged with goodies from BFree, Savor by Suzie, and Ghostfish Brewing Company + a 3-month subscription to Love Me Gluten Free. 😊

I would LOVE for someone from our community to win this. ENTER HERE and good luck!

PS: BFree is showing up big time for the celiac community this month. They're also donating 10% of all Wrapped in Love Limited Edition Soft Original Wraps to The Celiac Disease Foundation. These wraps are available for a limited time at Publix only.

(2) Smooch All You Want ... Maybe 💋

Could a kiss with someone eating gluten make you sick?

Researchers at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University wanted to better understand whether gluten can transfer through smooching.

They found that, while yes, kissing is a cross contact risk for those with celiac disease, it's "unlikely to be harmful in most situations."

Researchers recruited 10 couples where one partner had celiac disease and the other did not. The non-celiac partner ate 10 gluten-y saltine crackers and consumed 590 milligrams of gluten.

The couples then engaged in open-mouth kissing for at least a minute to ensure a good amount of "saliva swapping."

Researchers tested two scenarios:

1. Waiting five minutes after eating gluten before kissing.
2. Drinking four ounces of water immediately after eating, then kissing.

Here's what they found:

In 18 out of 20 kisses, gluten levels in the saliva of the celiac partner were below 20 parts per million (ppm), the threshold considered safe by the FDA.

Only one kiss (from a partner with high saliva gluten levels) led to a positive gluten test in the urine of the celiac partner, but no symptoms were reported.

While I'm honestly not comfortable swapping saliva with someone who just ate 10 saltine crackers, researchers said that, if the non-celiac partner took a sip of water after eating gluten, the amount of gluten in his/her saliva would be greatly reduced.

The bottom line? There is still a slight risk of getting glutened by smooching someone who just ate gluten. And honestly, yours truly isn't willing to kiss someone who just ate 10 saltine crackers.

However, if your gluten-eating sweetheart insists on a kiss, instead of making them brush and floss, hand them a big glass of water and tell 'em to chug. Maybe ask them to swish a little too (that's my advice, not from the research 🤷‍♀️). You'll lower your chances of getting glutened and you'll be able to smooch more confidently.

Read more about this much-talked about study on the Celiac Disease Foundation website.

May Boxes on the Way

If you're a Love Me Gluten Free subscriber, your May box in in transit and will arrive any day now. I can't wait to see what you think of all the delicious goodies inside to celebrate Celiac Disease Awarweness Month. 🎉

Save the Date! Join me on Facebook Live this Friday, May 9th at 11:00 am CDT. I'll reveal the contents of the box and I have a few fun giveaways planned for those attending live! Our Facebook Lives are open to everyone regardless if you ordered a box. RSVP HERE and see you soon!

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Jenny

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