Weekly Links: May 22nd & 23rd

This weekend I'm heading to my parents' house for my sister's bridal shower. No, there won't be any toilet paper fashion shows, clothes pins, or cotton balls because we're not into that sort of thing. But there will be gluten-free red wine cupcakes in honor of the bride-to-be! The guests don't know it yet, but they're all taking part in the Gluten-Free Challenge!

Researchers find a connection between celiac disease and c-sections: Beyond the shared first letter. In a recent study, researchers found that "compared to children born vaginally, children delivered by c-section were 80 percent more likely to develop celiac disease." Researchers hypothesized the difference could be caused by the missed opportunity to pick-up microbes in the vaginal canal. I'm a c-section baby, but so are my three siblings and, so far, I'm the only celiac . . .
One more reason to love Bob's Red Mill: As I've mentioned before, I love Bob's Red Mill products and admire Bob's flair for accessorizing. Who wouldn't? I mean, they make a wide assortment of gluten-free products and maintain strict GF standards. And Bob? Look at him! He's adorable. And, apparently, one of the nicest guys ever. Recently, he gave his multi-million dollar company to his employees. Let me repeat that: HE GAVE HIS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COMPANY TO HIS EMPLPOYEES! That act, coupled with a view of the Blindside this week, gives me a little more faith in human decency. I'll just try really hard not to think about so-called "tea partiers," Wall Street, insurance companies, all the finger-pointing related to the BP oil spill (would someone just act like an adult and accept responsibility?), bail-outs - if I'm really serious about this I should probably stop making this list and watch this video again:



The Gluten-Free Challenge: Are you ready for the gluten-free challenge? A joint project by Pamela's Products and the Gluten Intolerance Group, the Gluten-Free Challenge challenges everyone to spend one weekend (May 22nd and 23rd) living gluten-free. The idea is, that by spending one weekend GF, those people lucky enough to not have to spend every day GF will gain a little appreciation for those of us who do and the difficulties and frustrations we face. Encourage your friends and family to participate! There's a sign-up on the website and everyone who successfully completes the challenge gets a certificate. Pretty cool. I'm kind of thinking this challenge should be mandatory for all waitstaff, who's with me?
Study Refutes Link between Gluten-Free Diet and Autism: Unsurprising in my opinion, despite Jenny McCarthy's claims, there's never been any scientific evidence a gluten and casein-free diet improves autistic behavior. But considering how frustrating caring for an autistic child must be, it's no wonder parents will seemingly try almost anything to cure their children. Hey, if it works . . .