Programs teaching about Raw

germin8germin8 Raw Master

I’ve searched and searched and searched… and searched for schools that teach raw-food living/nutrition. I have found raw food culinary schools (Living Light)... I have found home study courses (Creative Health Institute, Anne Wigmore)... I have found Cousens’ programs… I have found Integrative Nutrition… and others.

Has anyone studied at any of these that I mentioned?

I would like to hear your about your experience. What you got out of it… if it was a good program? And how you are using that knowledge now?

Comments

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Hippocrates Institute, West Palm Beach area teaches raw-food living/nutrition. We are planning on going there in a few years when our children are older, have heard excellent reports on it.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    I haven’t studied at a raw institute but I know a few people who have studied at Living Light and one person at Hippocrates. They are all really good raw chefs. I have seen and tried some of the Living Light recipes as I helped out a bit at a raw restaurant a few years ago and my bf has gone to visit the school. Their recipes are really good and the chefs that studied there were using the recipes in their restaurants and they really liked studying there.

    One tip is that if you have a raw restaurant near you sometimes the chefs will offer some courses you can take to learn raw food! You can also learn from some individuals who have raw chef certification too.

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Are you looking to learn more about the nutritional aspects of raw, or learn the culinary? I know that there are many holistic nutrition courses that are offered around the country and also home-study courses from accredited naturopathic/holistic schools.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Thank you for the advice. I have my Alyssa Cohen Level 1 chef certificate… but it’s all very, very basic for me. You are right, queenflufff, I should look into learning from a local raw food restaurant… too bad it’s 2 hours away. :o)

    spiritedmama, I would like to learn more nutritional aspects (since learning culinary seems like something I can do by experience – right? I hope!). I checked into such natural health programs but it is not what I’m looking for because the programs teach about herbs and not a raw food lifestyle. Do you know of any? Am I looking the wrong way? :o) I think nutrition would be more of what I would be looking for… but nobody really teaches raw nutrition. I would be almost essential to know that I’m getting all my vitamins/minerals/etc when on a raw food diet.

    But, I did want to learn from both nutrition and culinary. I’m curious!

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    germin8, I think that the closest you would come to a “raw nutrition” program would be a holistic nutrition program. You may want to google that term and see what you come up with. That is great that you have your level I, I would love to get that, but I have just too many things going on right now.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Thanks for the advice! I have looked into holistic nutrition.

    I just wanted to know if anyone has tried any of the shorter programs mentioned above. I’m intersted in learning more, but I don’t know which I would focus on – either take chef training to be a good raw food chef… or learn more about the science/nutrition to make sure I am not deficient in nutrients when I eat raw. I’m an engineer, so this is just for personal growth… and hearing from others experience gives me an idea of which I would choose. I certainly do not have the time to learn “everything”. :o)

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    rawmama, what “excellent reports” have you heard about Hippocrates? Are you referring to the results of going on a raw food diet… or the things they teach you… or both… or? :o)

  • I studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

    One word: Amazing.

    As far as a raw learning experience, however, they only have like one day where they talk about it. David Wolfe comes to speak, which is awesome. IIN teaches you all about everything concerning nutrition (or, well, a lot) and lets you take from it what you want and what is best for you. But as a total experience… totally amazing. It gave me everything I need to know about health, got me started on a better lifestyle, and gave me the tools to start my own health counselling business.

    Now I just need to stop being lazy and I’ll actually have said business :D

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Thanks for the reply Katie. I was curious about IIN. It sounds like a great place. IIN does not offer a degree – does it? It would be impressive if you can start and have a business on health counseling just by attending IIN. Their website was impressive.

  • I just looked at the IIN site. It really does look like a wonderful program, but so very far away from where I live in Southern California.

    germin8—Let us know if you find something, perhaps distance learning. I’d be interested.

    Katie—Get that business started, girl!

  • Hi This is a very interesting topic. It would be interesting for there to be a website with all the schools on it and what people are saying about them. I want to go to the Tree of Life because that is the only Raw Food Masters program in the world as far as I know.

    I am curious how they are perceived by the raw food community in general. In some ways I think they are way more strict than the average person wants or needs to be but this is why I like what I have heard about their program because in other certification classes the recipes are flashier to impress people or be marketable? I’m just guessing. I can also make things more complicated than they need to be and a lesson in simplicity is what I personally need.

    From this site I’ve learned that a lot of people who are raw are working to integrate the lifestyle in with family members who aren’t supportive. It is hard for me to believe that anyone wouldn’t want to support a family member or loved one’s attempt to be healthier but it seems to be what happens most of the time.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Maybe a masters degree in nutrition from an accredited institute with a thesis in raw food <something-or-other>. Not sure about registered dietetics programs.

    writeeternity: Yes, Tree of Life is the only one that I know of that offers the Masters Degree Program in Vegan Live-Food Nutrition. I’ve been searching… and they’re the only one’s… however, not accredited. Not sure yet if going with a non-accredited school will help business or not.

    Maybe both would be good… if someone wants to take both. It would be nice if someone who took the Masters program from Tree of Life would tell more about it.

  • Thanks germin8 for asking that again! I just figured noone here had experience with that. I’d be interested in hearing from anyone who would be an employer for someone with a specialty like that too.

  • Germin8—They offer you a certification for being a Health Counselor. Also, they are affiliated with Columbia University, so if you sign up for that part of the program (its extra money but worth it if you want it) you can get a degree from Columbia University.

    I wouldn’t find a standard degree in nutrition very useful, because they only teach you USDA guidelines (as far as I know) and the science behind it all. I’m pretty sure they don’t get into different diets, let alone raw food. I mean, sure you could open a practice with that sort of degree, but I would feel terribly lost and I think I might wonder why none of my clients are getting well (or at least, not most of them, that’s for sure). IIN really gives you all the tools you need to get started, and by the end of the program its actually required to have two clients already (a lot of people kinda skip over this and say they have clients when they don’t really. I sort of took this route because my “clients” were family members). So, if you follow it as is, you’ll already have a business (and potentially even have paid off your education there) before you finish.

    It really is amazing, I would reccommend it to anyone (and everyone)... Its more than just an education, its really an experience. Being in a room with so many like minded people is very exciting, and also very comforting.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    I am not sure I would want a certificate. I think it would be quite useful to have this kind of certification, if I already had a degree in the field. My computer science degree is far from it.

    So, what kind of degree do they offer for that part of the program?

    I haven’t made up my mind really…

    I understand your point of view about a standard degree and USDA guidelines… but, I also feel it is good to know the science behind it. I have often read a book by a doctor or scientist talking about health/nutrition… and their findings only confirm what “we” already know about living a healthy lifestyle. So, I would lean toward the Masters… but, I’m not convinced about a nutrition degree. It’s just the closest… I think. Maybe I should see a nutritionist and see what kind of things they do. I guess if you can have a business with just a certification, it would be something to look into. I guess it would depend on who you want as clients.

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