Hello Reader,

Honestly, friends, I can't make this stuff up.

Spanx founder Sara Blakely recently shared a video from her trip to Italy on Instagram, saying that she and a friend "are two girls who are gluten-free and ate every single thing with gluten in Italy."

She also showed the heavy suitcases full of Italian flour they brought home.

Whether intentional or not, posts like these reinforce one of the biggest myths in the gluten-free community: that people with celiac disease can somehow safely eat wheat in Italy.

They can't.

Let's clear a few things up:

Gluten is gluten. Whether wheat is grown in Italy, France, or Kansas, it still contains the gluten protein. We obsess over the tiniest of tiny crumbs here in the U.S., but somehow believe Italian wheat gets a free pass? Make it make sense.

Italy doesn't have "safe wheat." What Italy does have is one of the most celiac-aware healthcare systems in the world. About 1% of Italians have celiac disease, and the country has excellent gluten-free labeling, restaurant training, and support for people living with celiac disease.

If people with celiac disease could eat regular wheat in Italy, there wouldn't be such an incredible gluten-free infrastructure there. Italy is one of the easiest places in the world to travel with celiac disease because they take it seriously, not because their wheat is somehow different.

Symptoms don't tell the whole story. Some people with celiac disease have few or even no noticeable symptoms after eating gluten, but the autoimmune response and intestinal damage can still occur.

Being "gluten-free" is a diet. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. They are not the same thing. Whether someone is gluten-free by choice, for non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or because they have celiac disease, one thing is certain: Italian wheat contains gluten.

I know many of us wish this "European wheat is safe" myth were true. But misinformation like this makes life harder for us all. It causes family members, friends, and even restaurant staff to question whether we "really" need to avoid gluten.

📦 Missed the August Box? Here's Your Chance!

Our August Love Me Gluten Free Box sold out before we even shipped it! 🎉

But don't worry, if you missed it, you can still enter to win one on Instagram. Enter here →​

I'd also invite you to join me for our Facebook Live Box Par-tay today!

I finally get to share what's inside the August box, connect with all of you, and share the stories behind the brands we're featuring.

One lucky attendee will win a FREE Love Me Gluten Free Mystery Box filled with goodies from past and present boxes!

Here are the deets:

When: Today, Friday, August 7 at 11:00 am CDT

Where: On Facebook

RSVP and/or JOIN HERE →​

🛒 New Gluten-Free Products on My Radar

🧀 Brazi Bites just launched two new products: Bacon Cheddar Cheese Bread and Chocolate Chip Waffles. Consider me intrigued.

🦖 Actual Veggies introduced three veggie-packed Dino Nugget flavors: Cauliflower & Potato, Sweet Potato & Carrot, and Broccoli & Potato. Look for them at Whole Foods.

🥞 Feel Good Foods continues to crank out new comfort foods! Keep an eye out for their new Biscuit Bites and Pancake & Sausage Sticks.

🍕 Against the Grain has new Pizza Pockets rolling out at select Walmart stores. Childhood nostalgia, but gluten-free.

🌶️ NUFS introduced a new Habanero cracker flavor, now popping up at Sprouts. If you like a little heat, these are worth a look.

💛 Personal Update

We're soaking up every minute of family time over here. My son is coming home after spending the summer in Los Angeles for an internship, and we're so excited to have him back for a few weeks before he heads back to school.

Then, just two weeks later... we'll be taking our daughter to college.

I'm trying not to think too much about becoming an empty nester, but I have a feeling there will be a few tears mixed in with all the excitement. ❤️

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Jenny

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Listen to the Gluten Free Unwrapped podcast.

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.