Latest / FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast / From Finland to Italy: What Food Culture Can Teach Us About Balance, Movement, and Guilt-Free Eating

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From Finland to Italy: What Food Culture Can Teach Us About Balance, Movement, and Guilt-Free Eating · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:08
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Hey and welcome back to the fit me Turo fitness podcast. I'm your host, Turo Virta, and before we dive into today's episode, I want to share something very exciting for at least for me as this you it makes me feel like that, wow, this was very, very surprising, and that recognition means a lot to me, but more importantly, it got me thinking about how much culture saves, the way we eat, the way we think about food, and even the way we see health and fitness. So and was, I'm not a big person to bat my own back, but this was, for me, it means a lot. And it's, it's a it says that, because sometimes it feels like that, you know, you are recording these podcast episodes, having guests doing solo episodes. And you know, there is, of course, there is some people joining you. I get some emails, or it was my warms my heart, makes me feel like that. You know, this is not for nothing, and was often like myself too. I recently sent an email to my favorite podcast host and thanked him for amazing episodes and amazing content, because I truly enjoy listening podcasts and during my when I'm preparing my breakfast movie or, or when I'm walking or or driving a car, and that goes often, you know, we are listening, taking some takeaways, and I think that, wow, this was so great. And then, you know, you move forward, you don't say thank you. And it's for me like I don't expect anything of that, but it says that think as sometimes it feels as too great to have that kind of feedback.
• 3:45
  Turo Virta (Zoom): I don't expect anything I do it because I love doing it. I love if even one person is listening this. I really enjoy doing it and it, it's all what matters.
• 3:55
  Turo Virta (Zoom): So thank you for listening, thank you for being here, and thank you so much for even if you ever send any message or or shared any episode, or you didn't leave a review. All of matters is that you are here, and I hope you get at least one takeaway from each episode or or whatever it is. So thank you for being here, and that really means a lot more than you think to me. So today I want to take you on a little journey. So comparing the food and lifestyle culture in Finland, where I grew up, and Italy, where I live now, and what that can teach all of us about building healthier relationship with
• 4:42
  Unknown: food fitness. So
• 4:45
  Turo Virta (Zoom): let's start with something very simple, like a food culture. So in Finland, meals are often functional, like when I was growing up, food was more fuel than enjoyment, and eating was something you did quickly in between work, after school or after sport. And it was more like that, you know, you gotta eat, and it's, it wasn't like. You didn't really like in Finland, we don't, or at least where I grew up, we didn't think like it. What is what we are going to eat? Or it was just to fall something, you know, that you have a food, you didn't think about it. Could be faster option. It could be maybe you did some food, like in Finland, people like to cook, or at least when I used to live there, I love to cook, like, for two, three days, like I did it, like when I do it, I do it for several day. And that is the difference in Italy, you basically never you cook every time press, and you are not doing like for that, you have the same food for whole week.
• 5:59
  Turo Virta (Zoom): And there are benefits and disadvantages in both ways. And but this is, it says the culture difference, and what is other very, very big difference is drinking, especially alcohol.
• 6:15
  Turo Virta (Zoom): It's in Finland. It's it was, or at least it was, for me, it was social escape, something, and sometimes, or it was always, when I was younger, it was a very heavy on the weekends and in Finland, like you are not, you are not drinking, like in 11am or or at noon, one glass of wine or with the food, like maybe, maybe now helico. Logo, and I lived there, but it was like, if you saw somebody like in the morning, like the name, drinking glass of wine or beer, you were like, looking like, oh, this person have been out last night and having still hangover and drink now to feel a bit better again next morning. And in Italy, that's kind of normal thing like that. You know, you are enjoying time with the French and having your operative or something in early morning. But it's, it's the difference is that in in a Finland or in northern countries, I feel this is not that this is the same, same thing, like the people are like and it's, it's, I recognize myself like that. You know, it was earlier, it was like that when you get, you drink one, two, and then, you know, you are like that. Oh, now I want to get dirt. I want to get fourth and the maybe two glasses of wine or beer or whatever, and after that, you said, Oh, I start to feel drunk. Now it's time to stop. And that is a huge, huge difference between like, for example, with that alcohol, and that is when I when I moved with the with the meals. The difference is, what I recognize is that meals in Italy are events. So you sit down, you enjoy, you connect with the family and friends. And every weekday lunch might be it's a maybe it's a proper plate of pasta, some vegetables with olive oil. And that is the key lesson. What I when I think these things attack that so and if I think like the kind of the diet or food culture between what is the difference between Italians and that is that Italians don't label pasta as a bad or or a pizza that it's it's bad, or olive oil as a fattening food, because food is seen here as a part of life, and because of that mindset, overeating and guilt around food looks very different than in countries where dieting is constant, like here, of course, people people have weight loss goals. It has become an issue here, but that I feel like that if I it's just, I don't have any statistics on this, but if I look people like, of course I try to, when I go visit my family, for example, in Finland, I try not to, like, touch people or anything like that. But it says that, of course, it's, it's part of my work, and, and, you know, you are looking like, and it's, it's interesting, deciding how they are eating and, and, of course, In physical appearance too, like, of course, people are bigger, bigger.
• 10:09
  Turo Virta (Zoom): People have more like, like,
• 10:14
  Unknown: health
• 10:16
  Turo Virta (Zoom): issues or, or they have struggles to perform, like a daily tasks and, and, of course, if you go to America that that is, that is a another extreme, like, and it's, it's just that you are looking like, how, where it is all this coming from, like, of course, like, now I don't have any stats, but I'm pretty sure if I would take a look some that stats, like on BMI, BMI, which, by the way, it might not be the best possible way to measure your how healthy person you are. But just in general, that's how I feel. Like that in Italy, people are
• 10:55
  Unknown: kind of living in than in northern
• 11:06
  Turo Virta (Zoom): countries or in America. So that is to be, I think that what is the reason is that the way how we are framing that food culturally that fits, whether we see it as an enemy or as something to enjoy in balance. So then I want to talk a little bit about bit about lifestyle. So in Finland, sports are huge. Like, ice hockey is the number one sport. There's a lot of cross country skiing, being active outdoors, like, especially, like even the weather is not as great as in Italy. But what is the difference? Like in Italy, daily movement isn't built into that culture that much like, of course, it's, it's, it's understandable. Like, if I think like that in Italy, we have a and maybe there is a one month couple degrees of minus in Finland you have, like, I don't know, six, seven months of minus degrees in month of November.
• 12:21
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Luckily, I haven't been, I think once in the last 20 years, in November. So I kind of forgot it. But it was a, it was a month that, you know, you could basically scratch from your calendar if you could, because that was, it was so dark, better was like, maybe around zero, little minus, little plus, a lot of raining, and it's not very tempting to go out for just a daily walk. And here, if I think like we have, I'm that lucky to live in that kind of place where we have, like, a 90% sunny days weather is amazing, and it's it's a different thing. Go for daily walk, getting some sunlight. Or if you go like, you know that, Oh, you gotta go when there is a raining, windy, everything. So it's, it's, that's a huge difference. And it's, I totally get it. It's not easy. But what is the other thing is that in Finland, is that daily movement isn't built into that culture.
• 13:36
  Turo Virta (Zoom): So you are driving long distances, sitting in offices, then compensating with one or two hard workouts, and that is very common, like that. You know you are not doing thinking like the daily activity. It's counted as in that either you broke out hard or or you don't. You know you're you don't do anything.
• 13:58
  Turo Virta (Zoom): And in comparison to Italy, you see something very different.
• 14:02
  Turo Virta (Zoom): People are walking more. So the movement is built into the daily routine. You know you are going for a hikes, like, especially vegans, a lot easier to do here. When you have a like, where I live, it's a middle of the mountains. You have a great opportunities, possibilities to go for a longer walk, but also for me, like, you know, walking to store, getting a five minute walk after lunch or dinner, taking stairs, and even small things like standing at the bar for a quick coffee instead of sitting down. Those are things like in Italy, like in Finland, you barely never see someone going for a bar and having a quick coffee standing in Finland, if you go for coffee, it's you take your coffee, you sit down and and they are things that they are adding up. And the lesson here is that movement doesn't have to mean workouts, so it's all about building those small, sustainable they need to run marathons. You need to find a ways to integrate that activity naturally, that it doesn't feel hard. And that is, I feel like that. That is the kind of biggest difference. And if you look like how much it matters, because most people think that you know you have to, you have that certain amount of exercises, what you have to be doing, or it doesn't count. And I was that person, too. And now here I think that, you know, I don't actually need hard workouts very often. It's maybe it's two, three times a week at most, and then the rest is just the kind of softer, easier like walking and working with the clients from both countries, from Finland, from Italy, from basically, from all over the world. I have been lucky enough to work and compare these cultural differences in the states in Australia.
• 16:28
  Unknown: You course,
• 16:34
  Turo Virta (Zoom): it's, it's, it's totally different. Like, you know, depending I totally get the point, like, somewhere it's not safe to go outside to have a walk. Like, I'm, I'm, I'm I have to say that I'm lucky to be that person, to have possibility to walk in the nature, go outside and not being scared of your life walking in some dangerous neighborhoods. So that's totally different. Or I don't have that struggle to go for a walk when it's raining and windy and you are like that, Oh, no way. So it's, it's, that's a huge difference. But then there are nowadays, like, if you think like that, how that technology it have, everything is becoming easier. It have to be like, you know that there is a tools for everything that just, you know you don't need to walk. You can take a roller plate or or try.
• 17:41
  Unknown: It's very good be
• 17:43
  Turo Virta (Zoom): walking. So it's, it's, it's not easy, but there are, like, those kind of things, like, if you are, if you your work is sitting on a desk, could you having some walking that? Could you plan actually your walks in, getting up from your desk, doing some couple of stretches, like small, those old kind of small things, which, which are actually made, also to build. Because most of the people you know, they look comfort. You have to have comfortable home. You have to have everything is about comfort. And it's, I feel like that because it's, it's your health. You have to deserve it.
• 18:22
  Turo Virta (Zoom): It's not. There is no way around it. Like, you know, it's nice to nice to have to be able to have those comfortable things. But if it's too much about comfort to not do anything not moving your body, you will pay price for it, and that is that is those and because there are no unfortunately, even many medicine have cut luck for forward, it's not still your health you earn with your own actions, and it's always the most comfortable way is not always the best possible way for your health. So what is the other little bit about mindset, and what is the other big cultural difference? And there is that kind of mindset. So in Northern Europe, honestly, in much of the Western world, the focus is often on body size. So smaller, leaner, lighter, and that's the goal. But in that Mediterranean culture, like strength, vitality and enjoying love, life often come first. So you will see eating people eating gelato without active lives, so and that there is also actually science. What is supporting these two? So that's why the call like something called, like Mediterranean, Mediterranean and in diet. I'm sorry I'm bad pronouncing this, but it's it's one of the most researched patterns in the world for healthy and long longevity, not because it cuts the entire food groups, but because it's balanced. So what it means, it's lot of vegetables, a lot of beans, olive oil, fish, whole grains, but there is still room for wine and desert. So maybe instead of obsessing over that restriction, we should ask that, how can I create that lifestyle I can actually enjoy for decades? Because that's what really matters. And if you think that beer here. Like, what is it? I think my regular days, you know, for when I lived in Finland, or when I visit Finland, you see that, you know, they consider themselves like, you know, you eat a little bit greens. It means three slices of cucumber on your bread or having a half tomato. But if you look like, what is the recommendation? That is, what how much vegetables you should be eating? That is a lot more.
• 21:22
  Turo Virta (Zoom): You are barely getting anything and but of course, I that's also cultural difference. It's huge difference how those things are tasting, how vegetables are tasting like here in Italy, we I'm in a lucky place. I have a minor own carbon where I can pick up in a summer months, basically everything we are eating and in even in the winter months, they come from somewhere, like from Sicily or or somewhere close. So you have access all year around for there is growing something for one, two months in a year, and the rest of the rest of the year, you get all your tomatoes and salads. They come from somewhere else, and, of course, they are not tasting the same.
• 22:08
  Turo Virta (Zoom): So it's, it's huge difference, but it's, it's we eat also very little meat, and meat I don't, I'm not. I in so I love meat, but now, like, what makes the difference is that what kind of, what quality of meat you are eating. Because now, if I think that what kind of meat I often be, I invest for my own health, and we, we are eating quality meat, but it's, it's usually locally produce, product, product, product. So it's local products. So you know, you know where it's coming from, that it's not just the cheapest possible way. While ago when my wife, when we went to supermarket and looked like all kinds of meat options. What was there? Like?
• 23:14
  Turo Virta (Zoom): They are in some kind of marinade, and meats like you have, you have no idea. You don't even taste that meat, because in Italy we don't use any sauces or anything. It's just pure, like, just the meat, and then you cook the meat and then add sauces. But you don't even find from supermarket meat in some marinade or some kind of sauce, because, you know, that is that's for me, I feel like those are the worst things what you can do. And of course, if you think like that very that all comes from. Like, if you think it needs, they are, it's also business. You know, they you know, they have to.
• 23:55
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Companies need to make profit.
• 23:55
  Turo Virta (Zoom): And you like, this was for me, when I was a student. I just possible option. And you know, when you in a food, if you always you look for the cheapest option that's probably not the healthiest one. But, of course, you have to find, we don't have, maybe funds or money for to buy everything. So you have to think like that, okay, where I can invest like it's not that you don't need it but, but in some cases, like especially for meat and those things like that, I rather have it a bit less and then eat it only with the quality what I what I that, what I know, where it's coming from, and it's it makes such a big difference. And now, if I think like that earlier, I I was thinking that it doesn't even make that big difference. But now, if I go to restaurant and have some meat like and it's, it's, you know that it's, it's not costing a lot, and you taste it, it's use, you
• 25:03
  Unknown: taste the difference.
• 25:03
  Unknown: You if it's a
• 25:18
  Turo Virta (Zoom): bit less quality or so it's it makes such a big difference. So, but what is, then, my my experience, because I lived in both cultures, and I worked with several, several people from all over the world and with the different cultures. And that is the interesting thing during thing, what I have learned in from working with the people from so many different cultures is that those principles, they are still always the same. And what I have learned is that from Finland, I learned that discipline structure and the importance of training hard, and that is kind of the what is missing in Italy. So in Italian people, they are not very disciplined. The structure might not be as
• 26:16
  Unknown: you are.
• 26:18
  Turo Virta (Zoom): They love to say here that, you know, we do it tomorrow or or don't worry about it like and in Finland, it's all about structure, and I'm, I'm that kind of person. I love to have discipline. I love to have that structure. I love to know I need to know what is going to happen when I can plan it ahead, and I know what it means to training hard. But in Italy, you know, you learn the talents connection and that food is meant to be enjoyed, not to be feared, because in Finland, like if i What is the biggest difference? If I look, for example, I read news, news, what I try to avoid since covid. But if you look like that, it's it's all those headlines, they are so clickable, made that they are causing usually fear. You know that there is some surprise, not really, but you already know what they are aiming for. They try to get your attention. They try to get your time. And what is getting that kind of interest to click those things? It's some, you know, fear or something, what you might have anxiety, and that is what I try to avoid. And that is something what I actually try to bring to my coaching and into this broadcast. So it's not about having fear, it's not about one extreme. It's about blending that the best of the both worlds and from all over the world, and thinking like that, those are principles, tactics which are working in your situation. Like, of course, it's situations or life in the US or in England or in northern countries you and I'm not trying to make you both, like in Italy, you have a different challenges, but principles of nutrition, like there are just a simple ways, simple habits you can always they are universal. So you are getting your protein, you are getting your vegetables, you are getting your fiber, and then you are aware of your current habits, and then you find a ways you are aware of your amount of steps, like you are thinking, what is the one thing you could be improving? And it's not about being perfect, because we have all like this kind of that mindset that what you should be doing, what, what is kind of the good way or bad way of doing things. But instead of taking getting that, getting rid of that all or nothing, thinking, thinking like that, what is, what it means progress for me at all.
• 29:26
  Unknown: For
• 29:38
  Turo Virta (Zoom): example, with the with the walking, you know, for someone like I, I had a podcast interview with Sanna, who is from Finland, is my old school friend, and when we started working, she was telling, how is her life at the moment? And it was just an example she thought. She said she's not that active, but it's okay. She's going for a walk sometimes, and stuff like that.
• 30:05
  Turo Virta (Zoom): But when we started actually to track it how active she actually was, she was like, we often overestimate all these things that we think that, Oh, I'm doing okay and but it could be better. But when she started to actually track her amount of steps, she realized that, wow, this is like, on a good day, she might have a 8000 steps bad days.
• 30:39
  Turo Virta (Zoom): And when she started with the purpose, with the right mindset, trying to improve it, not getting 10,000 steps or something, but adding that 1200, 3000 steps more per day, and doing that for weeks like it. It means that you have to intentionally go for a walk, thinking your decisions, what you make several times a day.
• 31:00
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Like could I be parking further when I go for a supermarket?
• 31:04
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Could I, could I go for 10 minute walk? Could I add some steps there? You know, all these things, they add up. And when she started to move more making more intentional choices, smarter choices with her nutrition, it was she started to see amazing results. And it's all about, like, what is your situation, where you are at the moment? Not
• 31:35
  Unknown: trying to compare.
• 31:41
  Turo Virta (Zoom): I, you know, I gotta get that 10,000 steps.
• 31:43
  Turo Virta (Zoom): No, fuck no. It's all where you are at this point, like information is easy to easy to find. You know, you have Google, you have AI, all these tools, all coaches, social media. There are good information, there are bad information. But now I feel like that it's going in a better way, but that finding ways, what feels better, or what bills feels doable for you in your situation, thinking that you know this health and fitness journey, this is a lifelong journey. This is not a marathon.
• 32:17
  Turo Virta (Zoom): This is not a race. There is no finish line like in marathon that you run, but now you did it, and then you know, you don't know what you do. Or, like many people think that weight loss, you know, I have that five kilos or 10 pounds whatever to lose.
• 32:30
  Turo Virta (Zoom): And once you get to that finish line, it's kind of done, no, it's still, you still have something to do.
• 32:48
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Remember, if it's for many people, it's a weight loss goal, how you are using it, it matters more than how fast you are reaching it. Of course, we want to get results faster. But I'll tell you from experience, working with so many people, there is not single, not single client who have said that, you know, fuck, I lost those 1015, kilos what I wanted, but it took way too long, and now I'm so disappointed no even they take because it almost always takes a lot longer than you would like you. At some point you are motivated, but at some point you will not have motivation. What is what it matters more is that you find that discipline. You find that way for you to keep promises, what you make to yourself, and that is what I learned from Italy. But you have also being able to have that Italian enjoyment, so you can train hard and still eat pasta, you can build muscle and still share wine with friends. So the key is building habits that you actually enjoy so you can stay consistent long term. And that's the cultural shift. I think many of us need moving from fear and guilt to balance and strength.
• 34:22
  Turo Virta (Zoom): So to wrap up this up, Culture shapes the way we eat, move and think about health, but we are not stuck with just one model.
• 34:33
  Turo Virta (Zoom): So depending where you are living, we choose the best lessons from each culture and apply to your individual situation. Lives and what is doable at this moment for you, because this might change. And my challenge for you, I love to end this with a little challenge, is to notice your own cultural defaults. Are you treating food as a fuel only, or do you slow down and enjoy it?
• 35:12
  Turo Virta (Zoom): Do you see exercise as punishment or as a way to celebrate your body and things you are actually able to do, and what small shift can you make to bring more balance into your daily life? So thank you for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend. And if you haven't already hit the subscribe so you don't miss the next one. And as always, if you want helping building that lifestyle that is focusing on your strength, balance and long term health, check out my coaching options at personal turo.com Until next time, and remember, health isn't about being smaller, it's about being strong and.