Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be taken as medical advice, if in doubt, you should seek advice from your trusted medical professional or nutritionist.

We all know there’s no such thing as a miracle food that’ll solve all your problems, but there are certain meals we tend to think of as ‘healthy’ or instinctively assume are better for us.

Fortunately, a doctor has revealed some of these everyday grocery items are not as healthy as they appear!

Medical professional Dr Mijin Brown shared examples of some popular health foods to watch out for.

First items on her list are perhaps the most surprising: fruit juices and fruit.

'Did you know that some fruit juices have as much sugar as a can of soda?' Dr Brown said in a video posted on social media.

'Fruit today, even veggies today, are nothing like they were a long time ago in nature. Most were small, fibrous and not too sweet, but fruit today is crazy.'

Dr Brown shares online alternatives to 5 ‘healthy’ foods. Image: TikTok / @drmidge

Dr Brown cautioned that what was once ‘nature’s candy’ was now engineered to be bigger, sweeter and less fibrous–impacting our blood sugar levels.

She recommends treating high-sugar fruits like mangoes, pineapples, bananas and grapes like dessert and limiting consumption. Interestingly, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans actually recommends adults eat 2 cups of fruit a day. Similarly, the Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest two serves of fruit daily for those aged 18 and over.

Another one is oat milk. Major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths sell oat milk as an alternative to dairy milk, and while it’s certainly vegan-friendly, Dr Brown reveals it’s 'not as healthy' as we think.

'Oat milk is high in carbohydrates and sugar–plus it has a lot of preservatives, emulsifiers and thickeners. So, if you’re looking for a healthier dairy alternative, try almond or even coconut milk.'

Dr Brown also specified oatmeal, known locally as porridge. It’s controversial for diabetics because they need to limit their carbohydrate consumption.

Even though porridge is a low glycaemic food, other varieties–especially those with additional sugar–are not ideal for people regulating their blood sugar levels.

Dr Brown does not deny that porridge is a great source of fibre, though she recommends avoiding flavoured kinds of porridge, and choosing the ‘steel cut’ as a healthier option.

Unusual health tips shared by Dr Brown drew comments online. Image: TikTok / @drmidge

Unfortunately, rice cakes don’t make the cut as well.

'Rice cakes are low in calories but really, really low in fibre,' Dr Brown said. 'You really need to watch out for their high carb content.'

Dr Brown recommended pairing rice cakes with something containing protein or fat to 'help with being satisfied'.

Though the doctor’s advice is in good faith, others online are still unwilling to heed her recommendations.

An online commenter mockingly said, ‘Is water safe guys?’

‘What the hell are we supposed to eat then??’ another wrote.

‘At this point I’ll eat whatever then hope for the best,’ someone added.

Despite the scepticism, Dr Brown expressed that people can still ‘eat everything in moderation,’ and that she just, ‘want(s) to inform people of the impact of some “healthy” foods on metabolic health’.

‘You can still eat them but be mindful,’ she added.

For the ‘healthy’ foods she debunked, she also recommends substitutes:

• Instead of ‘fruit juice’, eat the whole fruit;
• Instead of ‘high sugar fruits’ like mangoes, pineapple and grapes, try limiting them and treat as desserts;
• Instead of ‘oat milk’, try sugar-free almond or coconut milk;
• Instead of ‘porridge’, try plain coconut yoghurt; and,
• Instead of ‘rice cakes’, try swapping for celery sticks.

You can watch Dr Brown’s full video below:

​

Key Takeaways

• Dr Mijin Brown revealed five common foods that people mistakenly regard as healthy: fruit, fruit juices, oat milk, oatmeal, and rice cakes.
• Dr Brown claims modern fruit has been engineered to be bigger and sweeter, potentially affecting blood sugar levels. She also highlights the high levels of carbohydrates, sugars, added preservatives, emulsifiers, and thickeners in oat milk.
• She recommends consuming approximately 2 cups of fruit daily and treating certain fruits like mangoes, pineapples, bananas and grapes as a dessert. She also suggests avoiding flavoured porridge and opting for steel-cut oats instead.
• Despite some online criticisms, Dr Brown urges people to consume everything in moderation and provides alternative options such as sugar-free almond or coconut milk, whole fruit instead of juice, plain coconut yoghurt instead of porridge, and celery sticks in place of rice cakes.

Do you have any other advice, tips or any personal stories on healthy eating? We’d love to hear them. Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Leenie]

Eat everything in moderation and you won’t have any problems.tired of being told what’s good or not for you .

 

[mark godwin]

I see people lining up for BOOST JUICE not knowing that there is 17tsp of sugar in a 600ml juice . more than COKE . Carbohydrate 73.8 g 12.1 g - sugars 65.6 g 10.8 g HOLY CHOCO

 

[Penny4]

She's American and we can't compare our fruit and vegetables to their country. Not a fan of coconut yoghurt either. The old celery stick trick ... how ancient is that!

 

[Rob44]

How does one eat healthy? Does one grow it as one does a vegetable, or does one kill it by hunting it or in an abattoir? Or is Healthy a person? In which case that would be cannibalism.

"Healthily" is the adverb you need to describe how one might eat. However, it is the digital age in Australia so I suppose literacy is no longer seen as important.

 

[Leodalion63]

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be taken as medical advice, if in doubt, you should seek advice from your trusted medical professional or nutritionist.

We all know there’s no such thing as a miracle food that’ll solve all your problems, but there are certain meals we tend to think of as ‘healthy’ or instinctively assume are better for us.

Fortunately, a doctor has revealed some of these everyday grocery items are not as healthy as they appear!

Medical professional Dr Mijin Brown shared examples of some popular health foods to watch out for.

First items on her list are perhaps the most surprising: fruit juices and fruit.

'Did you know that some fruit juices have as much sugar as a can of soda?' Dr Brown said in a video posted on social media.

'Fruit today, even veggies today, are nothing like they were a long time ago in nature. Most were small, fibrous and not too sweet, but fruit today is crazy.'

View attachment 35983

Dr Brown shares online alternatives to 5 ‘healthy’ foods. Image: TikTok / @drmidge

Dr Brown cautioned that what was once ‘nature’s candy’ was now engineered to be bigger, sweeter and less fibrous–impacting our blood sugar levels.

She recommends treating high-sugar fruits like mangoes, pineapples, bananas and grapes like dessert and limiting consumption. Interestingly, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans actually recommends adults eat 2 cups of fruit a day. Similarly, the Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest two serves of fruit daily for those aged 18 and over.

Another one is oat milk. Major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths sell oat milk as an alternative to dairy milk, and while it’s certainly vegan-friendly, Dr Brown reveals it’s 'not as healthy' as we think.

'Oat milk is high in carbohydrates and sugar–plus it has a lot of preservatives, emulsifiers and thickeners. So, if you’re looking for a healthier dairy alternative, try almond or even coconut milk.'

Dr Brown also specified oatmeal, known locally as porridge. It’s controversial for diabetics because they need to limit their carbohydrate consumption.

Even though porridge is a low glycaemic food, other varieties–especially those with additional sugar–are not ideal for people regulating their blood sugar levels.

Dr Brown does not deny that porridge is a great source of fibre, though she recommends avoiding flavoured kinds of porridge, and choosing the ‘steel cut’ as a healthier option.

View attachment 35984

Unusual health tips shared by Dr Brown drew comments online. Image: TikTok / @drmidge

Unfortunately, rice cakes don’t make the cut as well.

'Rice cakes are low in calories but really, really low in fibre,' Dr Brown said. 'You really need to watch out for their high carb content.'

Dr Brown recommended pairing rice cakes with something containing protein or fat to 'help with being satisfied'.

Though the doctor’s advice is in good faith, others online are still unwilling to heed her recommendations.

An online commenter mockingly said, ‘Is water safe guys?’

‘What the hell are we supposed to eat then??’ another wrote.

‘At this point I’ll eat whatever then hope for the best,’ someone added.

Despite the scepticism, Dr Brown expressed that people can still ‘eat everything in moderation,’ and that she just, ‘want(s) to inform people of the impact of some “healthy” foods on metabolic health’.

‘You can still eat them but be mindful,’ she added.

For the ‘healthy’ foods she debunked, she also recommends substitutes:

• Instead of ‘fruit juice’, eat the whole fruit;
• Instead of ‘high sugar fruits’ like mangoes, pineapple and grapes, try limiting them and treat as desserts;
• Instead of ‘oat milk’, try sugar-free almond or coconut milk;
• Instead of ‘porridge’, try plain coconut yoghurt; and,
• Instead of ‘rice cakes’, try swapping for celery sticks.

You can watch Dr Brown’s full video below:

​

Key Takeaways

• Dr Mijin Brown revealed five common foods that people mistakenly regard as healthy: fruit, fruit juices, oat milk, oatmeal, and rice cakes.
• Dr Brown claims modern fruit has been engineered to be bigger and sweeter, potentially affecting blood sugar levels. She also highlights the high levels of carbohydrates, sugars, added preservatives, emulsifiers, and thickeners in oat milk.
• She recommends consuming approximately 2 cups of fruit daily and treating certain fruits like mangoes, pineapples, bananas and grapes as a dessert. She also suggests avoiding flavoured porridge and opting for steel-cut oats instead.
• Despite some online criticisms, Dr Brown urges people to consume everything in moderation and provides alternative options such as sugar-free almond or coconut milk, whole fruit instead of juice, plain coconut yoghurt instead of porridge, and celery sticks in place of rice cakes.

Do you have any other advice, tips or any personal stories on healthy eating? We’d love to hear them. Let us know in the comments below!

This morning is my first time of having for breakfast Overnight Oats. So last night I prepared plain oats, yoghurt, maple syrup and milk in a jar with a lid, mixed it up, in fridge overnight. Had it this morning with some mixed berries. Why I started doing this is because I wanted something to fill my tummy longer than 2 - 3 hours.I really hope this works. Definitely making more overnight oats to ight for in the morning its really yummy.I still make my own porridge but I like to cut down on my intake of sugar and add fruit. Anothèr one is when I make muffins I half the sugar and add more fruit it requires in my recipe. Take care.

 

[Constance o6]

How boring her regime is! I believe that the French drink wine, have lots of butter and cheese, eat creamy desserts, bread and still manage to have low heart disease and stay slim. Small portions of everything I think is the answer.

 

[Penny4]

This morning is my first time of having for breakfast Overnight Oats. So last night I prepared plain oats, yoghurt, maple syrup and milk in a jar with a lid, mixed it up, in fridge overnight. Had it this morning with some mixed berries. Why I started doing this is because I wanted something to fill my tummy longer than 2 - 3 hours.I really hope this works. Definitely making more overnight oats to ight for in the morning its really yummy.I still make my own porridge but I like to cut down on my intake of sugar and add fruit. Anothèr one is when I make muffins I half the sugar and add more fruit it requires in my recipe. Take care.

Yes, I always reduce the sugar with muffin recipes. At least when we bake muffins at home, the ingredients are from our kitchen. No added weird ingredients. For breakfast I had 1/4 cup of muesli, milk and a few spoonfuls of yoghurt, plus my homegrown blueberries. Everyone is different, but this fills my tummy too.

 

[Jarred Santos]

This morning is my first time of having for breakfast Overnight Oats. So last night I prepared plain oats, yoghurt, maple syrup and milk in a jar with a lid, mixed it up, in fridge overnight. Had it this morning with some mixed berries. Why I started doing this is because I wanted something to fill my tummy longer than 2 - 3 hours.I really hope this works. Definitely making more overnight oats to ight for in the morning its really yummy.I still make my own porridge but I like to cut down on my intake of sugar and add fruit. Anothèr one is when I make muffins I half the sugar and add more fruit it requires in my recipe. Take care.

Yes, I always reduce the sugar with muffin recipes. At least when we bake muffins at home, the ingredients are from our kitchen. No added weird ingredients. For breakfast I had 1/4 cup of muesli, milk and a few spoonfuls of yoghurt, plus my homegrown blueberries. Everyone is different, but this fills my tummy too.

Well I've just had my porridge, and now I'm hungry again

 

[Leodalion63]

Yes, I always reduce the sugar with muffin recipes. At least when we bake muffins at home, the ingredients are from our kitchen. No added weird ingredients. For breakfast I had 1/4 cup of muesli, milk and a few spoonfuls of yoghurt, plus my homegrown blueberries. Everyone is different, but this fills my tummy too.

Thank you Penny4. That sounds really yummy. I need to put muesli on my shopping list also. I hope this fills me as well. Take care

 

[Gsr]

No matter what we eat at some stage some “informed” person will come out on social media and say it is unhealthy. Soon there will be no food that is “good” for us. I’m sure we can all survive by eating anything in moderation. My great grandparents, and grandfather all lived to almost 100 and they grew up eating dripping on bread most days, milk and cream straight from the cows, meat from the farms they butchered and stored in a meat safe or ice chest, not much refridgeration back then, vegies they pulled out of the dirt and ate without washing, fresh eggs, lots of fruit as they had orchards. Not a healthy diet by today’s advice but didn’t seem to hurt them. They all died from “old age”.

 

[Rob44]

Ah well. Healthy food. It depends on where you live and what you do to live. The Esquimaux used to eat whale meat and blubber by the yard and drink rancid seal, walrus and whale oil and didn't do too badly for 20 000 years or so. Assorted famous explorers in the Antarctic had that kind of diet when their ships were wrecked or otherwise stranded until they had been picked up by the next vessel that happened to drop by. In PNG the normal and natural diet is one that certainly wouldn't pass muster as healthy and people eat until more than replete. But it seems to suit their activity in seriously mountainous country where the daily chores involve considerable physical activity in the great outdoors and its weather. Although sugar has become a curse to their teeth and pancreas, as it has in many places.

In reference to our modern diet, diabetes 2 has become epidemic and that is probably because assorted fresh-food people dump sugar into just about everything that forms processed food. Diabetes 2 certainly wasn't around, as it is now, in the days of the British WW2 wartime rationing diet, bland but very healthy, which was in force until 1955.

 

[Colette 3799]

My mum wasn’t one for healthy food. She was more happy with fish and chips and sausage rolls than veggies. She ate lots of chocolate and potato chips and drank lemonade. She never had a weight problem and lived to be 96 with very few health problem. In fact when she went into her care home at 93 they were amazed that she didn’t take any prescribed medication. I guess everyone is different but we shouldn’t take this ‘expert’ advise as gospel. As has been said, everything in moderation