What trouble were you having with the ARL protocol if you don't mind me asking? Did you discuss it with your practitioner?
No one lab is perfect or necessarily better than the other in my opinion. I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all to NB. Unfortunately, like anything else, it is trial and error.
But like SB or someone else here said, I love it. I'm behind it. But I've had to try out a few different practitioners and do my research.
I doubt the practitioner was "BSing" you - probably just making recommendations based on what he thought was best, and they are simply not working for you?