The golden rule of Maintenance has always been the separation of carbs and fats. I was taught that when we keep these macros separated, we avoid elevating blood sugar thereby minimizing insulin pro...

In our redesigned protocol, the principle behind separating carbs and fats hasn’t changed, but our method has been modified based on current research on the glycemic index. Based on this research, we know that not all carbohydrates are created equal when it comes to postprandial insulin release. The Glycemic Index rates a food based on how quickly it is digested and released as glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. This determines sugar spikes and subsequent insulin release. Food that have a high glycemic index (70 or above) will cause this spike and insulin reaction, which can lead to fat storage. However, moderate intake of carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index, such as those re-introduced during Stabilization and encouraged in Maintenance, do not spike blood sugar nor cause an overproduction of insulin, which leads to fat storage.  In the previous maintenance phase, we did not “set” an individual carb tolerance limit, which was why the separation made sense. In our new Stabilization phase, each client will determine their own individual carb tolerance based on their daily allowance of net carbs, and its impact on their hunger, cravings and weight trends. In doing so, this disassociation between carbs and fats is not as crucial.