How to Interpret GI

Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion and cause a rapid rise in blood sugar have the highest glycaemic index (GI values 70 or higher); whereas carbs that get digested gradually have low glycaemic index (GI less than 55).

When your meals consist of mostly high GI foods such as processed carbohydrates and refined sugar, the blood sugar surges stimulate insulin as well as food-craving hormones, so you're more likely to overeat at the next meal or snack in-between meals.

While low glycaemic foods are the healthier choice, it's not realistic to totally eliminate high glycaemic foods from our diet. What we can aim for, instead, is a more balanced eating plan by consuming more of the desirable low GI foods, and eating the higher ones together with a little fat or protein to slow down the insulin response.