So many questions....

As soon as I told people I was taking a nutrition course, everybody seemed to have so many questions for me.  It's still part of my daily life to get asked at least a couple questions a day about food or diet or anything that has to do with nutrition.  I quickly learned that it's best if I let people come to me with questions than me just blurting out "oh don't eat that" or "hmmm, that's full of sugar, don't drink that".  I wasn't trying to be a "know-it-all" but at times I felt I wasn't minding my own business so I stopped doing that.  Now I know that if people have questions, they will ask when they are ready but they often don't want to hear the answer I have for them or are not ready to hear it.  I will be very clear on this...Nutrition is not a one size fits all, there is no mold that everybody fits in and that everybody should follow to the tee.  Nutrition is very individualized and personal and has to be tailored to your bodies' needs, demands and lifestyle.  When someone asks me "should I avoid grains?" or "why do you think I feel tired all the time?" or "should I stop eating dairy?" I can't give you a direct answer as I have not sat with you and gone through your health profile.  In order for me to make an educated decision to determine what is best for you as an individual, I need to know all the facts.  Some people can handle grains, others can't, some people can eat dairy, others can't.  It's as simple as that yet very complex and detailed when it comes to YOUR individual needs.  As a general rule I do tell everybody to cut out convenience food, fast food, sodas, processed foods and sugar.  This is beneficial for everybody in the long run, no exceptions.  As for everything else, well, it depends.  As much as I want to answer everybody's questions all the time, I must have all the facts.  

Being a nutritionist also doesn't mean I know everything there is to know about food.  I too am constantly learning and nutrition is an ever changing thing.  We discover new things everyday with science and that's what so great about it.  With my science background it's ingrained in me to always want to know more and the reasons behind everything.  Right now i'm learning a lot about high fat low carb diets and how it can benefit many people with various health issues.  I am trying it out on myself to see how I feel on this particular way of eating.  I have enjoyed how it makes me feel and in order to recommend it to my future clients I am trying to get as much information and real life experience to be able to guide them if they want to try it out.  Now will I push this diet on everybody?  No.  I feel that everybody should lean towards what they feel is right for them.  Is something isn't working for you then try something else.  If you feel like crap on a specific diet or way of eating but you read somewhere that that's what you should do, well maybe you should rethink it.  I think our bodies have a way of telling us what it needs and it wants to be healthy and balanced.  We all need to learn to listen to our bodies more, myself included.  

Take home message is: Keep asking questions but be prepared for the answers.  Do what works for you and if it's not working then do something about it.  Listen to your body, it wants you to thrive! 

Karine Vaillancourt R.H.N. 
Vitamin K Nutrition
Improving your health one nutrent at a time