One thing I have found as a nutritionist is I have to be willing to be flexible and to consider different ideas regarding nutrition. I realize that many things change every day. My own body is one of those things as is the whole body of nutrition research. I have to be willing to adjust my diet and lifestyle to what works for me and what I know. I was a strict vegetarian for many years because I firmly believed that was the healthiest diet for me. Once I learned more about my body and how the body works, I realized that being a vegetarian wasn't working that well for me. To be able to let go of unhelpful ideas with ease and try new things out has led me to even healthier choices. There are times when I do need more carbohydrates; while at other times, I need more fats. Perhaps I am depleted in certain vitamins. I must be willing to accept that things change and that there are times when I need to change the usual things I do for myself. I must be willing to adjust--maybe even on a daily basis. When I was growing up a vegetarian, I believed that cholesterol was bad and that soy was healthful. I have now changed my opinion on those things, and I realize that almost any concept can benefit from periodic reconsideration and reevaluation. Everything works differently for people, and there are many different foods that work great for one person and poorly for others. This is one reason why I don't believe in forcing my clients to precisely calculate calories or macronutrients every day.
As a nutritionist my job is to share with you the information that I know, but you are the one who is living in your body. You know what makes you feel good and what does not. There is so much information out there that it can be very confusing as to which foods you should and should not be eating. Unrefiend29 is a program to kick-start you on your journey to find the foods that work for you; it is only one of many available tools. Flexibility allows you to recognize that other steps such as blood work and consultation with other practitioners may be needed to achieve the best health possible.