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Changing my Career

HI All,

I have been thinking about this a lot lately and would like some advice. I am currently a fashion designer, but since the second I learned about raw food/food combining/natural hygiene I have been obsessed. I keep reading and reading, learning and learning, filling my head with information, and now I have a deep desire to help others regain their lives and be free from their illnesses.

I could become a certified chief and start my own raw food cooking classes….but I feel like I want and need to do more! I have been thinking of maybe going back to school to become a nutritionist or ???

I live in Los Angeles, and was wondering what college’s I should start looking into? or is there an intern program somewhere that I could attend in different fields of these businesses so i could better decide what I would like to study, and meet like-minded people?

Any advice on internships, volunteer programs, career paths, or college’s would be really helpful?

Thank you so much, Stacey

Comments

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    The Living Light Institute in Fort Bragg, CA is the place to go to do your raw chef certification. I hear Gabriel Cousens has some sort of “raw food” degree at his place in Arizona too.

    One piece of advice on the raw food cooking class business – it is a tough go. Lot of people are doing it and right now with the economy the way it – not everyone is spending money on stuff like that. My bf and I were doing a raw food meal service and we stopped it because people just are not spending money on stuff like that right now. If you are going to do that, try to target your classes at the more “affluent” people who spend money – if you want to make a living doing it that is.

    I know so many people who have gone raw and than want to be a coach or something. Not that it is a bad idea at all – but if money is an issue, it is hard to make a living with something like that. Make sure you have a back up.

    Fashion design sounds so exciting! I love Project Runway – unfortuantely I don’t think I am of the right mind to do it -I want everyone to dress like me! :)

    How about doing the raw food stuff as a side business first? I just say that because it is honestly really hard to make a living at it. Unless you are like David Wolfe or something. If money is not an issue than I would get the cerification first (although honestly it isn’t a requirement to be certified to teach people how to make raw – I am not certified).

    The nutritionist thing would be a good idea because health care jobs always seem to do relatively well.

    Question for you: are you new at the raw lifestyle? The reason I ask is because when I first started out with raw – did the same thing – reading every on it etc etc like you said which is pretty common in the beginning and can take a while to relearn everything on nutrtion. After you have learned most of the stuff, make you still feel the same way and it not just because you are excited with the new lifestyle.

    I hope I helped out. Not trying to discourage you but just to let you know that the “raw food business” can be tough. :)

  • Thanks queen fluff! ya my whole idea wasn’t to really become a chief or a coach or even sell food. I am thinking of a more serious career as in being a doctor, running a fasting retreat, or working with people who have cancer etc.

    Now that I have learned not only about raw, but natural hygiene and know that you are the only one who causes disease within your body I feel the need to teach the world.

    I am fairly new, been learning about it all for over a year, but I think it is a passion, I will take your advise tho, and stick it out for longer and see if the desire fades.

  • it would be helpful to hear from anyone who is a natural hygienist practicioner? anyone out there, or know where i can find one to speak with?

    I have been introduced to 2 schools [www.livingnutrition.com] and http://www.cula.edu/index.asp has anyone done these study programs?

    I love this forum and all the help you can receive, I really do appreciate each and every post!

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    I find www.petersons.com to be very useful when finding an accredited school.

    Just search for the schools that offer the degree you are interested… and do some research on them. You can search online schools, on-campus only, or both.

    There’s antoher website (can’t remember it right now), that let’s the “best schools for the price”. That’s another good one.

  • This school is in Beverly Hills, and may offer a program that would interest you. They’re not raw-specific, but have classes that are health oriented:

    http://www.aucm.org/

    Best of luck on your new path!

  • Branwyn32Branwyn32 Raw Newbie

    I can’t offer advice on programs or anything, but I do want to say if nothing else, you are DEFINITELY in the right place, I wouldn’t stray far from LA once it comes to actually working. I’ve worked professionally in the entertainment industry and done some related-to-fashion industry work…I really think someplace like LA, where you have the heaviest hitters in that industry, most concerned about health and beauty, with the highest incomes in the world, is probably where you can do the best in those fields.

  • CalebCaleb Raw Newbie

    I can’t offer any advice, but I can say I can definitely relate. I am wanting a career change as well. Really wanting to work in the outdoor industry, or something dealing with the environment. I enjoy graphic design a lot, but my love for the outdoors and the environment is growing!

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I hear ya. I just changed careers 9 years ago and still owe a fortune in student loans. Now, I want to study naturopathy, acupuncture, or either becom a farmer.

  • i have the same post on another forum, and getting a lot of responses if anyone is interested.

    http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=45497

  • Have you considered studying naturopathic medicine? I am currently in my second year at the naturopathic college in toronto and find that it addresses all my interests in natural health and also gives me the freedom to consider other things such as raw food diets, etc.

  • I feel the same as you, and I am most interested in this school. I’m 9 months preggo with my second kid in two years, so I’m waiting a few more months to start, but I’m almost set on this one.

    http://www.unh-edu.org/

  • I am with JNND

    Go to ND school!!!

  • I had a similar experience to yours. I ended up going to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York and got a certificate in holisitic health counseling. While I have a lot of great things to say about the program, it probably isn’t what you’re looking for and usually I think that it wasn’t the right place for me.

    If, like me, you’ve been devouring information on nutrition and you feel like there are so many things that we could all do better (in regards at least to our diets) but that certainly and without a doubt raw foods provide every single answer we’ve been looking for, then you’ll have a hard time sitting through lectures about different dietary theory. I mean, it’s all very interesting and good to know about in general, but once you feel like you’ve found the answer (no, you know it’s right because it’s so clear, so obvious, nothing has ever made more sense in your life), you want to charge ahead in that direction.

    For that reason, I’d recommend the Tree of Life in Arizona. They have a raw foods chef apprecticeship program and the most delicious raw foods I’ve ever had have come from their kitchen. There’s a great community of folks there to support you to.

    Best of luck.

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