The Effects of Czech Cuisine on My Psychology

The Effects of Czech Cuisine on My Psychology

Czech cuisine has affected my psychology more than I was originally expecting. These effects have occurred in two ways: directly and indirectly. I have been psychologically affected directly by the food in ways like being homesick for my regular foods or getting bored of the style of food here. Also, there have also been indirect effects on my psychology that result from the effects the food is having on me physically, such as constipation and weight gain.

I have enjoyed many traditional Czech dishes but feel as though overall there is a lack of variety in this style of cooking. Meals consist predominately of meat and carbohydrates. These carbohydrates typically take the form of potatoes, usually boiled or in dumpling form, and the meat is normally roasted pork but sometimes beef or chicken. Excluding a small serving of cabbage, vegetables are rarely served with a meal. While there are tons of different restaurants that vary widely in quality, I have found that the majority of Czech restaurants provide extremely similar menus. I understand that high protein intake is a good thing because proteins are a necessary source of amino acids and that carbohydrates are an essential source of energy, but because these two elements dominate my diet to such an extreme my interest in eating has begun to decrease. Eating has always been a favorite activity of mine and so it feels strange and a bit uncomfortable to not care about it as much as I used to. It is like a hobby of mine has been taken from me.

More significant than my growing bored of Czech food is the degree of homesickness I am experiencing for my regular foods. I was born and raised in New Orleans which is a city that places a special focus on food. My mother is a wonderful cook and brought me up regularly eating traditional New Orleans and southern food such as red beans and rice, boiled crawfish and crabs, jambalaya, gumbo, and friend chicken. It has been difficult for me to change from a diet so centered on seafood to one with a main focus on meat. Making such severe diet changes has perhaps caused me to miss home more than I would otherwise.

The largest psychological consequence I have experienced is a change in the mindset of what I eat. In the United States people are generally more concerned with their health and eating healthy. At home I always make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily, but here it is not the case. It seems to me that Czech people in general are not as concerned with their health as people from home and do not worry about the health content of their meals. This carelessness is somewhat contagious,

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