“You are what you eat” is a common saying that shows the importance of eating good food to maintain good health. Good food sometimes doesn’t taste good. That is the reason why Jenny – Zhanna Spitsyna,a third-year student of Professional Culinary Arts international program at Dusit Thani College, chose to study culinary arts after she got her medical diploma in Kazakhstan.
“I am an online dietary consultant”, said Jenny. “I analyze my patients’ health issues and plan menus for them to follow. However, I encountered the fact that many of my patients were afraid to go on their diets because most of the dietary dishes were so tasteless and had unpleasant appearance. So, I decided that I need to study and learn more about this.”
Prior to her interest in food for health, she aimed to specialize in surgery.
“To be honest, I hadn’t thought about the direction of nutrition or even arts in my life. When I studied in medical school, I wanted to get a specialization in surgery. But after graduation, I had a difficult time because my grandfather who was very close to me left this world. To distract myself from grief, I went into the world of diets. I went after diet plans found on the internet and even followed the recommendations of “fake specialists” who did not understand deeply about food, nutrition, or health. I ended up critically harming my health and went to the hospital. After I recovered, I promised myself that I would do everything to keep other people away from this sad experience. That was the reason I chose to become a dietitian and start a professional career in the field of food and cooking
The bond between Jenny and food did not start with this story. It was way back since her childhood, with her grandfather.
“My family has always had a special relation with food. My grandfather was a chef in a restaurant. When I was a child, I always helped him in the kitchen and adopted some techniques and tricks. His love for cooking was passed on to me as well as his techniques that I still remember and apply in my work. Food is also a factor that helps to bring all my family together despite the disagreements and disputes. During meals, we always sit down together at the table and talk as if nothing had happened. When we prepare food, we communicate with each other a lot. It is like glue which helped us to stay united and was the happiest memory for me.”
“Science and arts complement each other. I explore and research about the food chemistry and physical processes which occur during the cooking process because they affect the taste and nutrition of the dishes. Without this knowledge, it’s impossible to offer people tasty choices and healthy nutrition plans for them. At Dusit Thani College’sProfessional Culinary Arts international program, this knowledge is offered amply with high quality by experienced instructors.”
From being a tourist in Thailand, she found what she wants and settled down in this country to study her second bachelor’s degree and set her career path.
“I joined a short-term practical class at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School and was happy with what I learned. I thought to myself that I could use this knowledge to customize healthy meals for my patient satisfaction, so I sought more theories to be able to improve my menus. Dusit Thani College is more than an educational institute for me. It is the best thing which comes to my life in terms of education. The college’s instructors and teachers are always ready to help even if I ask something beyond the teaching program. I always receive support from them and feel like this is my second family. The program is also of a high quality plus an association with Le Cordon Bleu, a globally renowned culinary institute which attracted me to study here. To my surprise, even I am 30 years old and I already know many things, Dusit Thani College continues to open something new for me and for my plans to become a more skilled dietitian, a culinary instructor, a nutrition cookbook writer for patients, and a healthy food catering business owner.”
She also has a plan to bring her family to stay in Thailand.
“The culture in Thailand and Kazakhstan are very similar. People respect each other and family is an important part of their lives. I also enjoy hot weather in Thailand while Thai people are friendly and helpful. Even they cannot speak English well, they try their best to help me.”
Her love for food has built a great passion in her life. A care for people’s health, happiness, and herself has rewarded her with a precious present and a bright future.
