Raw foodism has taken the world by storm these days. More than being a way of eating, raw foodism is actually a lifestyle dedicated to the preparation, consumption and promotion of uncooked, unprocessed, often organic foods to compose the bulk of what a person eats, ideally 3/4 or about 75% of the total diet. Raw foodists believe that detoxification, weight loss and improved overall physical health are the main benefits that can be derived from a raw food diet. Other benefits also include increased energy, less risk for cardiovascular diseases and better skin.

In raw foodism, the closer one gets to consuming foods in their unaltered states, the better for the body. This is because of the “life force” present in food that also gets transferred to the consumer. The enzymes present in raw food (for raw foodists, heating food up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit or 47 degrees Celsius is allowed but not beyond that) are responsible for the prevention and even cure of most debilitating diseases. That is why raw foodists don’t cook their foods

If you’ve been wanting to try out the raw food diet, but don’t know how, here are some tips you might find helpful:

1. Familiarize yourself with all the terms about raw foodism first. Understand terms like alkaline, vegan, super foods, dehydrating, juicing and the like. You are going to be encountering a lot of them as you begin your journey toward raw foodism. Nothing beats knowing what you’re getting yourself into.

2. Determine why you want to go on a raw food diet. If it’s for weight loss, you’re going to be consuming more alkaline, raw super foods. If it’s for detoxification alone, vegetable juices and alkaline foods are going to compose the majority of your diet. If you’re going raw for general health reasons, organic and vegan foods are going to comprise majority of your diet.

3. Fill your pantry with raw foods to make sticking to your diet easier. Some of the things you might want to stock up on include beans, dried fruits, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, other organic or natural foods which have not been processed, sun-dried fruits and seeds. Also, make sure that you’re going to be consuming purified, not tap, water.

4. Know the tools of your trade. Familiarize yourself with a dehydrator, a hand blender and some sharp cutting knives. You are going to be using these implements quite often in preparing your meals.

5. Don’t rush into it cold turkey or you’re going to quit just as easily. Perhaps you can start juicing at first. Then, incorporate more fruits and salads into your diet. Gradually add the number of recipes until you become more comfortable and your body becomes well-adjusted to it.

6. To make food preparation easier, get hold of delicious raw food recipes online or in bookstores. Keeping your meals yummy is also one way of ensuring that you stick with your raw food diet. Otherwise, you’re just going to quit if you taste bland food all the time.

7. Find a support group in your area. Enlist the help of your family. They may not understand why you’re doing it at first, but talking to them will win their support and might even encourage them to join you (warning: the raw food diet is not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women and those with osteoporosis or anemia). Even if they still think you weird, they can help a lot if you just appeal to them to not discourage or make fun of what you do.

Centennial College offers one-semester as Food Service programs, which provides you with the knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to a food service team. To gain entry into the program, you must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. English proficiency will also be considered. However, possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to program. Once you’ve applied and have been accepted, you will find that the program is broken down into five components. These components are: role of the Food Service Worker, workplace communication, safety and sanitation, nutrition in healthcare and a practical kitchen aspect. Within these five components you will learn aspects of food quantity preparation and service, sanitation practices, customer service, cost management skills and much more.

The program is a combination of classroom lectures, practical kitchen experience and a work experience field placement in a healthcare facility. The placement is an opportunity to apply classroom learning to real situations that you will encounter in the Food Service Worker field. Before you’re able to go out on placement, the school does require you to have a mandatory two-step mantoux test (TB skin test) within 12 months of starting the program, even if you have had BCG, as well as influenza immunization and a vulnerable persons police check. Another attractive feature of the Centennial College program is that it was developed to meet the standards and criteria of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Students in the certificate program may also use the knowledge and skills to transfer into the two-year Food and Nutrition Management diploma program if desired.

Once you graduate from the Food Service Worker program, you will be equipped with the knowledge and practical skills to find work with commercial, institutional or long-term care facilities. In fact, this certificate is a requirement to work as a dietary aide in long-term care. In their positions, Food Service Workers, have variety of tasks. One important aspect of the job is to communicate the role of nutrition and apply the principles of human nutrition to food production, in the health care foodservice environment. They also provide diet therapy relating to a variety of illnesses and diseases by assembling appropriate meals, while applying food and bake theories. This goes hand-in-hand with the duties of implementing cooking principles and techniques in the preparation of large quantities of foods. During the preparation of meals, Food Service Workers also ensure that food is free from bacteria and other harmful contaminants by adhering to government and departmental regulations. Lastly, Food Service Workers carry out cost control techniques in the preparation of foodservice in the health care environment.

Read more on York News-Times

Read more on Colorado State Collegian

Read more on Chicago Tribune

Read more on PR Newswire via Yahoo! News

Read more on Australian Food News

Read more on Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance