What is the glycemic index?

Foods with little or no carbohydrate, like oil, ghee, meat or eggs, don't have a GI.

Low, medium and high GI

If you have diabetes, prediabetes or PCOS, choosing more low and medium GI foods can help keep your sugar steadier.

GI bands:

• Low-GI foods (55 or below) raise blood sugar slowly.
• Medium-GI foods (56 to 69) raise it moderately.
• High-GI foods (70 and above) raise it quickly.

But GI isn't everything: portion size and total carbohydrate still matter, and some high-GI foods are nutritious.

What changes a food's GI

Processing, cooking and ripeness all change a food's GI, and foods higher in fat and fibre tend to score lower. Juice scores higher than whole fruit, and very soft-cooked grains higher than firmer ones.

Tend to be low:

• barley and whole oats
• dals and beans
• most fruit
• milk and dahi

Tend to be high:

• white rice and potatoes
• white bread and instant cereals
• sugar

You can balance a higher-GI food by pairing it with lower-GI ones, like rice with plenty of dal and vegetables. Talk to your doctor or dietitian before relying on GI to manage diabetes.