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Nutrition science never stands still—and neither should the people practicing it.

In this candid solo episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid shares five nutrition beliefs she once confidently recommended that she has since changed her mind about after more than a decade in functional medicine and helping over 30,000 women transform their health. Rather than viewing changing your mind as a weakness, Brigid explains why it’s one of the most important qualities of an evidence-based practitioner.

From hormone health and GLP-1 medications to calorie counting, ketogenic diets, and food sensitivity testing, this episode explores how emerging research and years of clinical experience have reshaped her approach to women’s health, blood sugar balance, gut health, inflammation, and body composition.

If you’re navigating perimenopause, menopause, insulin resistance, or simply want to understand what truly supports long-term health, this conversation offers a refreshing look at how personalized nutrition should evolve alongside science.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• Why Brigid’s perspective on hormone health has completely evolved
• The role nutrition plays alongside hormone replacement therapy
• How GLP-1 medications fit into a holistic nutrition approach
• Why blood sugar balance still forms the foundation of metabolic health
• The difference between being calorie aware and calorie obsessed
• Why very low-carb diets aren’t the right solution for many women
• How chronic stress and nervous system health influence blood sugar
• Why gut health should come before restrictive food elimination
• The importance of individualized nutrition instead of one-size-fits-all plans
• Why the best practitioners continue learning throughout their careers

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Why I’m sharing what I got wrong
• 02:10 – Lesson #1: Hormones deserve far more attention than I realized
• 08:55 – Lesson #2: My evolving opinion on GLP-1 medications
• 20:25 – Lesson #3: Calories matter—but not in the way you think
• 27:20 – Lesson #4: Why I no longer recommend very low-carb diets for most women
• 34:20 – Lesson #5: My biggest shift on food sensitivity testing
• 38:50 – Final thoughts on staying open to new science

Lesson One: Hormones Are More Important Than I Ever Realized

Early in Brigid’s career, she understood that hormones mattered. However, she underestimated just how deeply hormone health influences every aspect of women’s nutrition.

Today, after years of working with women navigating perimenopause and menopause, she recognizes that nutrition and hormones work together—not separately. While food is medicine, nutrition alone isn’t always enough. Supporting blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet can dramatically improve symptoms, but many women also benefit from appropriate hormone replacement therapy under the guidance of a qualified provider.

This shift has changed how Brigid approaches personalized nutrition coaching. Rather than viewing food and hormones as separate conversations, she now sees them as essential partners in helping women improve energy, body composition, sleep, mood, and long-term health.

Lesson Two: Why My Opinion on GLP-1 Medications Changed

When GLP-1 medications first entered the mainstream, Brigid worried they would distract people from addressing the root causes of metabolic dysfunction through nutrition and lifestyle.

While she still believes healthy habits should always remain the foundation, her clinical experience has shifted her perspective.

Today, she sees GLP-1 medications as valuable tools for some individuals, especially those struggling with obesity, diabetes, severe insulin resistance, or other metabolic conditions. Rather than replacing nutrition, these medications can create the momentum some people need to finally build consistent habits around strength training, blood sugar balance, and anti-inflammatory eating.

She also explains why supporting your body’s natural GLP-1 production through gut health, fiber-rich foods, and improving the microbiome should remain a long-term goal whether or not someone chooses medication.

Lesson Three: Calories Still Matter—Just Not in the Way You Think

For years, Brigid challenged the idea that calories were the only thing that mattered for weight loss. She still believes that food quality, inflammation, hormones, stress, thyroid health, and insulin resistance dramatically affect metabolism. However, she now also recognizes that calories cannot be completely ignored when someone is working toward improving body composition.

Instead of encouraging obsessive calorie counting, Brigid recommends becoming calorie aware, not calorie obsessed. Pairing adequate protein, fiber, and nutrient-dense meals with a modest calorie deficit creates a far more sustainable approach than severe restriction.

She also explains why chronic dieting, under-eating, and aggressive calorie deficits often slow metabolism, reduce muscle mass, and make long-term weight maintenance even more difficult.

Lesson Four: Why I No Longer Recommend Very Low-Carbohydrate Diets for Most Women

One of the biggest changes in Brigid’s philosophy involves ketogenic and extremely low-carbohydrate diets. After seeing success with low-carb interventions for certain patients and even experiencing short-term benefits herself, she eventually discovered that the approach often backfired—particularly for women.

Very low carbohydrate intake can become another stressor on the body, especially during perimenopause, postpartum, or periods of chronic stress. Elevated cortisol, disrupted sleep, anxiety, increased food cravings, and stalled blood sugar improvements are all issues she has observed in clinical practice.

Instead, Brigid now recommends a more balanced approach that supports stable blood sugar while still providing enough carbohydrates to fuel hormones, nervous system regulation, and overall health.

Lesson Five: Food Sensitivity Testing Isn’t Always the Best Starting Point

Food sensitivity testing was once a routine part of Brigid’s practice. While it helped some individuals identify foods contributing to symptoms, she now believes many people became unnecessarily fearful of eating a wide variety of nutritious foods.

Today, her approach begins with improving blood sugar balance, reducing chronic inflammation, supporting gut healing, and increasing dietary diversity whenever possible. Instead of automatically removing dozens of foods, she prefers personalized elimination strategies based on each individual’s symptoms, medical history, and health goals.

Ultimately, the goal isn’t lifelong restriction—it’s restoring gut health so your body can tolerate more foods again.

Why Nutrition Should Continue to Evolve

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode isn’t about any single nutrition strategy.

It’s about remaining curious. The best functional medicine practitioners are willing to change when stronger evidence emerges. They recognize that every patient is different, science continues to evolve, and personalized nutrition will always outperform rigid rules.

As Brigid shares throughout this conversation, changing your mind isn’t a sign that you were wrong. It’s often a sign that you’re continuing to learn—and that’s exactly what great healthcare should look like.

Resources & Links:

+ Watch the full episode on YouTube

+ Join The Being Collective

+ Brigid’s Website

+ Brigid’s Instagram