Glycemic index, load, insulin and cauliflower

While in Florida I enjoyed a cauliflower replacement for mashed potatoes at a posh restaurant and cauliflower soup made at home by my sister in law. The idea is that cauliflower has a lower glycemic index (glycemic index of 0) than mashed potatoes (glycemic index of 92) ( http://www.carbs-information.com/glycemic-index-vegetables/cauliflower-gi.htm ) and will help you live longer by not threatening your insulin system. Fortunately the smell of the vegetable doesn’t carry over to the entrée but a texture is produced that is similar to dastardly root vegetable. The recipe contains a little flower, some milk (glycemic index of 27) and yogurt (glycemic index of 36). Cauliflower is obviously the best but the other ingredients are not too bad, especially when compared to potatoes. There is another index called glycemic load which corrects for the actual amount of an ingredient in the dish. Glycemic index is a way to compare foods while glycemic load is a way to compare foods adjusted for serving size. That is, if you use a pinch of potatoes in a lot of milk the glycemic load of the dish will more closely resemble that of milk and not that of potatoes. Keep that insulin in control. I probably should calculate the glycemic load of the nachos I ate in Florida but that would be too depressing.

A recipe for cauliflower soup stolen from somewhere on the web is listed below:
INGREDIENTS:
1 large cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 vegetable bouillon cubes, crushed
chopped parsley for garnish
Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION:
Trim cauliflower; cover with water and steam until very tender. While cauliflower is steaming, sauté onion in the butter until softened. Add flour to butter and onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring to blend flour into butter.

Slowly add 3 cups of milk, the sour cream or yogurt, and stir or whisk until thickened. Drain cauliflower and blend in a food processor until smooth. If desired, process the milk mixture for a smoother texture. Add pureed cauliflower to thickened milk mixture and stir well. Heat through. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese.