Enjoy Gluten-Free Pasta On National Celiac Disease Awareness Day
Bottiglia Wants Everyone to Be Able to Enjoy Pasta Without Penalty
It sounds crazy, but some people voluntarily give up carbs or bread for personal fitness goals or weight control. There was even a dark time in 2003 when the Atkins diet craze ran amok and 1 out of 11 people in North America started acting like croissants were grenades. Extreme dieting is never a great long-term solution, but unfortunately, some have to make forced, radical changes to what they eat or face long-term, serious health issues, like people with Celiac Disease. Tuesday, September 13th is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day, and Bottiglia Cucina stands by and supports those struggling with this unfortunate medical condition. Learn more about celiac disease and Bottiglia's gluten-free pasta options!
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease (a condition where the immune system accidentally attacks healthy cells in the body) caused by an intolerance to something called gluten. Normally, the small intestine is where the body absorbs the nutrients of the food we eat after the stomach breaks it down. When people with Celiac disease eat anything with gluten in it, their body issues a response that ends up attacking their small intestine. Celiac disease can appear at any age, and it is hereditary. There are more than 200 symptoms of the disease–some immediate like sharp abdominal pain, migraines, bowel issues, intense swelling, and rashes–and some long-term like joint pain, depression, osteoporosis, and spleen failure. Overall, one in a hundred suffer from this very serious and debilitating disease.
What Actually IS Gluten?
Eating out at a restaurant can be absolutely terrifying to someone with Celiac disease because gluten is in almost everything. Gluten is the catch-all name for types of proteins found in wheat, barley, and numerous other grains. Its function is right there in its name: it basically gives food its shape by gluing all the components together. Gluten means well, but it’s actually a sneaky little bugger because it’s used in so many processed foods as well as those where it’s naturally occurring. It can be in soy sauce, BBQ seasonings, and sauce, vinegar, malt, flavorings, etc. Even something as innocent-seeming as a french fry that most assume is only potato is actually often bread-battered or fried in grease that contains gluten. Each individual’s severity and reaction to gluten is different, but for some, one little french fry could leave them sick for days. Gluten intolerance is like the ultimate betrayal for those who love to eat or just like eating without fear, like if a muffin came to life and started chasing you down the street with a knife. It’s an actual nightmare.
Bottiglia’s Gluten-Free Pasta Options
Bottiglia is an authentic Italian restaurant, which means it would be physically painful for them not to be able to feed their guests delicious food and care for them like beloved friends. That’s why they offer gluten-free pasta for all of their Pasta e Piatti entrees, so everyone can enjoy these traditional and tasty dishes. Back when Celiac disease was just being discovered, gluten-free substitutes were still undergoing development, but after years of refinement, they are just as good as the original. Bottiglia also uses the freshest ingredients for their dishes, so many other recipes can be easily altered to be gluten-free. That being said, it’s always important to tell your server if you have celiac disease and to double check, that everything is certified gluten-free like the pasta or being made separately to avoid cross-contamination. To Bottiglia, health and family equal happiness, and so each is taken very seriously every time you come in for a wonderful meal and a great experience!