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Simple Swaps: Nutritional Tweaks for Busy Lifestyles · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:06
  Turo Virta: Hey, and welcome to this picnic draw fitness podcast. In today's episode, I'm talking about simple swaps and how to make swaps easiest, easy as possible for busy lifestyle.
• 1:26
  Turo Virta: And that this topic. I talked earlier this week with the two women in their 50s, 60s, and they both were struggling with exactly the same issue, and I thought that this might be a helpful, helpful topic for so many so first about quick story about those women, and they both both had a similar background that they were kind of didn't want to go for another diet and and when we talked like what options they had was, they both have Been so so called yo yo dieters, as they always went for another diet, then lost weight, and then step by step, slowly gained everything back, back what they lost and and this is, this is kind of very common struggle, and that the most common reason is that, and every time you go for a diet, it's, it's getting harder. Every time because you you are trying to lose weight. You know that it's it's possible, but then at some point, more those cycles, you repeat harder it gets every time and and it always they have been that kind of mindset that it you have to go on diet, you have to be very strict. You have to be very like following those actions. And if you don't follow, you are not going to gain results. And, and that caused that they were like at the point that it was not anymore worth of it, or it felt, even to get started, like it's too hard. And, and if you think like that, this is, this is exactly the reason why you should not go for a diet because it's it should be easy. And then when we talk like I shared a couple ideas like that, what if you would just get started and not aiming to do everything, what you think you should be knowing and kind of trying to do the simplest steps or or adding things instead of taking things away. Because dieting mindset is often just taking things away that you are eating too much or you can't eat sugars, you can't eat you can drink alcohol or whatever, and and that is, that is very common struggle, and it's, it's same for me, like when I think, like what I have done for my personal journey.
• 3:45
  Turo Virta: What was the biggest trap? I'm a person who loves to eat a lot earlier in the day, and it was a time like it's now, I think six, seven years ago, when I swapped my breakfast. I'm simple guy. I love to have similar type of breakfast every single day, and earlier I had just a couple of breaks, and with the cheese and chicken, some kind of ham. And now I'm basically having my hair breakfast smoothie every single day, and it's what I'm varying is I just fruits, Greek you put and now I'm adding even a protein powder, natural protein powder, into my smoothie to add even little bit more protein, and that those are the kind of why, why it makes them so big difference, like, if I in the time when I did this web I didn't know why I suddenly started to feel so much better.
• 4:42
  Turo Virta: But now more research, more I'm into that fitness stuff, more I have learned, and there is actually scientific reason why that is happening, because even that, there is nothing wrong in bread or something, but there is so many macro micronutrients, what were missing and what I what I get now, instead of when I'm eating such fruits and some kind of proteins or it have changed everything. My energy levels, they are so much better.
• 5:10
  Turo Virta: I'm feeling fuller for longer.
• 5:10
  Turo Virta: I'm not starving anymore, or I'm not that hungry going into a breakfast. And I don't get those like energy level that they are going up and then suddenly down and and then now I'm staying full, or almost all morning and earlier. That was not the case, and why that makes them so big difference. The difference is that now I have so much more fiber to fruits, what I'm eating, and I make sure that I have enough protein. So protein, it's the simplest, it's I'm sure you have not, you have heard about it, what, how it makes difference and and there are so many studies showing that earlier in today, it's slightly better than doing it later on today. I'm not saying that you can do it. It's for sure, possible. It's it's about personal preferences, but for many, many people, it's just the, just the thing that if you eat breakfast and adding their some protein goes for many people, breakfast is maybe they think that they have protein, but when, when you eat one egg or two eggs, that is not going to be enough for as a protein source for your breakfast. So because, if you think that you should aim for 1.5 kilo grams per kilogram of your body weight, or whole body weight, depending how much weight you have. But that is kind of bare minimum what you should be aiming for. And let's say that you make 70 kilos. You skip at least 100 grams. And if your breakfast is you have, you think that you are having some protein. You have one egg.
• 6:44
  Turo Virta: That's a seven gram of protein.
• 6:48
  Turo Virta: And you don't have to wonder why you are struggling with hitting your protein goal if your breakfast has only seven grams of protein. So that's why adding some kind of protein sources for your breakfast, it's so helpful.
• 7:02
  Turo Virta: So but this episode is not about what I'm doing, and it's it's all about like, what you could be doing and kind of simple swaps different ways of thinking or or how to prepare better, to make smarter choices later and without having, without cooking every single meal or, or When you don't have too much time. So this is, this is topic, and what we are going to go deeper. So first understanding your nutritional needs, like what your body needs you. Of course, you have your favorite food, what you enjoy eating, but then there is some what your body actually needs to be able to function at best. And there is, it's called, like, kind of balanced diet. And it, it's combination, like from iron. I know, I'm sure many people like it depends where you are living, but for most people, the problem is that you are eating too many carbohydrates. There is nothing wrong with carbohydrates. I don't say that they are bad because, because they are not.
• 8:11
  Turo Virta: They are essential. You need them. But if you, on the other hand, if you have too many fats and too less protein, that makes things so much harder. So balanced diet, like it depends on your body composition goals, but for most people like you, like I said, the protein goal is the most important. Like it, it then it depends. Like, what is your if your goal is to build muscle, if your goal is to breathe fat. But in both cases, protein intake should always be the same. There is no difference. Like, for many, many, especially women, think that, you know, I can, I have to be careful with the protein because I don't want to get cheap, bulky or build too much muscle and but it's, it's the most essential macronutrient when it comes to fat loss, because, like in these examples, I told you earlier, those women, when you are not aware of your protein intake when you get over 3035 we start to lose muscle mass naturally, and especially when you go on diet. So it means totally that your body is you are giving less energy to your body than it requires, and your body need to compensate that missing energy from some tissue, and that tissue is going to be, of course, you would like that.
• 9:29
  Turo Virta: It's only fat, but there is also muscle, and your body doesn't care you. Of course, you like I said, if you want to have it, that it's everything going away from fat, but your body doesn't care. And that is the what is the difference between fat loss and weight loss? Because weight loss it it doesn't tell if you have lost your weight from your fat or your from your muscles.
• 9:52
  Turo Virta: Usually it's combination of those both. But fat loss is that you are trying to maximize that fat loss, that you are losing as much fat as possible and minimize that muscle loss. What is almost always happening about that, how you are going to prevent it is with the eating enough protein, and in addition, if you are able to do even one two strength training sessions.
• 10:16
  Turo Virta: So lifting weights, doing body weight exercise, is some kind of resistance training. So those when you combine those things, you are maximizing your fat loss rate and minimizing muscle loss because, like in these cases, like what often happens in in that your dieting cycle is that you are you are coming on diet.
• 10:37
  Turo Virta: You just eat less. You don't care what you are eating if it's going to be if you are going to eat more protein or or carbohydrates or or whatever, and then, you know, it's just less and easiest source for your body to compensate. This energy is from your muscles. And if you don't pay attention, you don't care, you don't do strength training, you are losing too much muscle mass, and how that is impacting in long term, more three cycles you do harder, it gets and more muscle mass you alone, you are losing, and that affects, again, to your metabolism, how much energy your body needs when you are resting.
• 11:14
  Turo Virta: So imagine if you are on you are having some diets, and then your metabolism. Now, at the moment, your body needs, maybe, or it should need 1500 calories just to maintain your weight. And then you have done this yo yo dieting cycles. You might have that it's it your body needs only 1200 so it's 300 calories less. And that is how it's happening often with this kind of yoyo dieting cycles that that ears are passing, and then, you know, the same things, what you used to do earlier, don't work anymore. And this is often especially for women, older women like of course, there is there. It's there is an impact for your hormones, menopause, those kind of things, your sleep. They are, I'm not saying they don't impact, but it's not only them. It's just for many people, I have a feeling that it's just the easy excuse that it is how it is at this age.
• 12:13
  Turo Virta: It's just a normal thing. Of course it matters too, but there is so much you can do to prevent it and to avoid it that it's not it don't have to be this way.
• 12:25
  Turo Virta: And this is just kind of a belief. What you have to know that it's, it's, there is a reason why this is happening.
• 12:31
  Turo Virta: It's not only your menopause or certain aids when everything is getting harder, if you are still doing strength training, if you are paying attention to your protein intake, and it still happens, there is still, there is still. Then I'm saying that, okay, then there might be something else, but making sure that first, that you are having enough protein, doing some kind of resistance training, and then maybe not trying to cut your calories too much in the beginning, those are kind of the biggest three mistakes. What I see people are doing. So what are then, how you, how you how you know that, or what your diet should be like. In in people, I usually see that there is some very typical nutritional deficiencies, like iron, vitamin D or fiber, and how they can impact to your health. So how you are actually knowing if you have, like, for example, iron deficiency. So there is some kind of symptoms. So symptoms for iron deficiency is fatigue and weakness. So because iron is crucial for producing hemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen in the blood, and low iron levels result in less oxygen breaching the tissues, causing persistent fatigue. And then you might recognize it from pale skin, brittle nails. So it can go if you have that iron deficiency, it can cause the skin and nails to lose their color and become more fracking so and then other symptoms is shortness of breath. So if you recognize that you are, suddenly you are experiencing shortness of breath during normal activities. And because that is, there is one kind of symptoms.
• 14:24
  Turo Virta: And then, if you almost, if you are having like kind of poor concentration, and you are less productive than normally. So these, these are all caused by iron deficiency, so so it can lead into anemia and and that is affecting, then metabolic health and immune function, increasing those all kind of infections.
• 14:51
  Turo Virta: And if you are more often sick than you used to be, this is also a sign of iron deficiency.
• 15:01
  Turo Virta: And vitamin D is that if you are having some bone back pain. So because the vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption in the bones, and if, since it can lead to softening of the bones in adults and causing them some pain and discomfort, auto symptom is depression and mood swings. So there is an evidence linking low levels of vitamin D to an increased risk of depression and muscle weakness.
• 15:31
  Turo Virta: So vitamin D is important for muscle function, and deficiency can contribute to physical weakness, impacting daily activities and exercises. So those are kind of symptoms. How you know? Because this is, of course, you can make some blood test if you have some deficiency and if you are having these kind of symptoms, I highly encourage you to do blood work and see if that is the case, and housed in the fiber fiber symptoms that you might have.
• 16:11
  Turo Virta: So you might have digestive problems. So if you are lacking fiber, it can lead to constipation, so you are not able to go to toilet, and that can cause discomfort and bloating, and you might have irregular bowl movements. So fiber helps to regulate bowl movements. And without it, it's to it can those stools can become hard and difficult to pass. And also you are have you are going to feel more hungry.
• 16:45
  Turo Virta: So it's fiber is with protein, it contributes feeling of fullness. And so without enough hyper you while you are going to be hungrier more often. And of course, those are those can lead them to overeating. And if you overeat, then you know you are gaining weight, right? So those fiber probably, they are the most important for dealing fullness. So that's why, like I said, example, what I had those when I added protein and fiber, they are they? Are they? Those were the key assessments, what I did key swaps, what I did for my breakfast to avoid that kind of overeating and having like kind of those hunger attacks. And of course, fiber plays a big role in a cholesterol management and regulating blood sugar levels, so deficiency can increase the risk of heart disease and type two diabetes. So this is often what I like in my family, almost everyone has high cholesterol, and they are like that. Okay, it's it's a it's in your genes that there is not much what you can do. But when I found out that that this is this, is this have changed so much, and now when I'm when I'm having fiber, like, how to get the fiber?
• 18:14
  Turo Virta: It's, for me, it's two, three pieces of fruit every single day. Plus, obviously, I try to get the look that I have enough vegetables. I'm I'm trying to choose. It's not that you have to, but I try to choose, like, kind of whole grain products, over, over, just some white stuff. So, so whole grain products, they have some fiber.
• 18:38
  Turo Virta: So those are kind of shops, what I have done. And these, these are just examples how you can do it, and if you, if you feel any of those kind of deficiencies or those symptoms, what I mentioned make, I would highly recommend you to make a blood work and to test so those deficiencies, so that, because those are very, very common for especially for busy people, if you are not eating enough, which getting vitamin D and and iron. So those, what are the other like, kind of easy swaps for better health, like breakfast. I already talked about, like it's just basically thinking, thinking that if you would have some kind of fruit or berries, and those, those you can, you can, you don't need to have your port if you don't like it. It could be oatmeal, but just kind of trying to avoid those sugary cereals or something. So it could be then, like for me, it was free cucumber. You could add some honey instead of, instead of, and what I, what I always love to use, is that you choose kind of natural you put without any added taste, or it without any flavored yogurts and and making sure that you put what you have is that is some high protein you could, like, for example, Greek, you could or secure, beets have a lot more protein than normal. And if you are not sure, what about what, what is your brand, just look your nutritional value. So Greek, you could usually and secure, they have 10 grams of protein in 100 grams, at least here in Italy. And if you look normal, regular, flavored or natural you put with, they have maybe three, four grams so you can triple, at least double, your protein intake simply swapping your input for pre cubic or screw with or some other high protein you put so those kind of straps that you are basically not seizing anything you are still eating same stuff like you're used to, but just a different brand. So those are easiest swaps. Then for lunch, if you think that just choosing, for example, whole grain perhaps, or or with lean meat or chickpeas, fast food options. So if you are, for example, if you are going a little bit later, more in details, but if you are preparing everything, reps are, those are my favorite thing to eat when I don't have a lot of time, if you are just, if I'm just prepared with some lean meat or chickpeas sauce for wraps, it's just the put it in, heat it, and that's it, you are good to go. Also, also with the salads like that. What makes huge difference, my my family were just here, and it's just a difference in Finland and Italy is that what in Italy we use with the salads, it's just basically olive oil, little bit salt or pepper, and that's it.
• 21:58
  Turo Virta: And in Finland it's some kind of creamy dressing with the salad, and you will add so much more, like kind of calories, fats, that if you are able to do those straps, like just the little things, of course, it takes some kind of little bit getting used to it, but then you actually taste the salad. And at least for me, I used to. I never thought that I could eat the salad with just some olive oil and salt or pepper, but now I would not, I just can't do it.
• 22:28
  Turo Virta: It's just, you are getting used to it. It's, it's kind of same things, if you think, like a coffee that was one swap. What I did, I used to drink it always with the with the sugar. And I'm not saying that it's, it's a bad thing or you can't do it. But just now that's over 20 years ago when I did that sweat. And now, when I count how much less sugar I eat. If I have two, three coffees per day and I put just one teaspoon of sugar, that's like five gram seeds, then that's like, then 15 grams per day. And if you think it, how many, how much is that in a one year. So here has 365 days.
• 23:10
  Turo Virta: And if that, if I drink my coffee every single day, and if it's even, if it's a just two teaspoons per day, that's three and a half 3.6 kilograms per year. And now, in 20 years, you can count, it's like a 70 kilos.
• 23:24
  Turo Virta: And if it's if I have a drink office, that's like 100 kilos pure sugar less what I have put into my body. So it might think that what it doesn't make any difference, but in the long term, that's a huge impact. And of course, it's not only sugar.
• 23:41
  Turo Virta: There is a lot of calories. What you say. So it it might sound that it doesn't make big difference, but all these amounts, like, if you count how many calories, has four kilos of sugar, and that is, that is a huge amount. So those all kind of small changes, what feels like that they are not even that big changes. They are all what actually matters. Then same thing with the with the snacks.
• 24:12
  Turo Virta: So if you think that you want to have something kind of sweet, instead of having some candy bars, like I'm counting some of protein bars, our candy bars, they are just marketed. There is some protein. Okay, they might have a protein, but just make sure look those labels, how much protein they actually has, how many calories, and then make decision, how it feels. And of course, there's a there's a I'm I used to eat basically every single day, once you protein bars, but now recently, I haven't been eating them, and I must say that I feel so much better. And my clients have been kind of feeling the same. It depends, of course, from the brand, what kind of protein they are using, but many of my clients, they have been struggling with bloating and not feeling well while eating some protein bars, or protein bars, even they are, they are cooked swaps. They are, for sure, better than some chocolate. But if you feel, if it feels in your stomach or in your cup or you are not digesting, it will. It might be a reason. There is a test question just so make sure it's it's a very common thing, but and instead, if you have your snack and you have fresh fruits or dried fruits, of course, they are like easy to over consume. If you if everything what is dried, if you imagine, like having some wine grapes, if they are fresh, there is a lot of water. And if you take some rushing or something, when they are dried, it's lot more likely that you are eating so much more. At least, I'm a person who loves to eat a lot, and when you are swapping those things, instead of dried, eating some fresh stuff, that makes such a big difference for them for dinner and thinking like, what kind of if you think, of course, you should have some kind of protein source. And if you have, like, a grilled peas or chicken instead of processed or fried meats, those are, like, simplest steps what you could be doing.
• 26:23
  Turo Virta: And then, like, if you have, like, some steamed or roasted vegetables with herbs instead of mashed potatoes with cream. So those all kind of things, they make, if you just, like, I said always to everyone who is starting with me before making any changes, try to track. Try to write down, even you are not using some tracking app or just writing it down what you are actually eating, it makes you so much more aware what you are currently eating. And then it's so much easier when you see like, at least for me and so many for my clients, that it's so eye opening when you are seeing that, then you understand that. Okay, wow, I'm eating that much. I didn't know. I thought that this is healthy, but it has so many calories. And then when you learn from your current nutrition, it's so much easier, you automatically start to make better resistance, or thing like, do I really need it? And then it's not, it don't have to be for rest of the rest of your life, but even for a couple days, like even for one week or three days, that's more more likely it's going to be enough to see you that what you are actually currently doing, then other things like how you are, how you can save time and post your impression. So think about, think like, this is something like that. I don't like to plan, like, make plans for a whole week what I'm going to eat up.
• 27:50
  Turo Virta: Of course, if you are able to do it, that's going to be a massive, make massive difference. But what I what I love to do, is that taking, I don't know, 20 minutes, 30 minutes even it's it would mean that you are doing one workout list. It would like, let's say that you are planning to work out three times a week. I would say that you get, especially if your goal is to fat, to lose fat, you are getting more benefits that you are working out two times a week and then that third time you take time to actually plan and prepare your meals. So what I love to do with this, I don't I don't like to plan everything that what I have to eat. Of course, it's if it's possible, if I'm able to do it, that helps a lot. But what I love to do is to prepare only my protein sources, because that I know that I struggle the most because I'm not a big meat meat eater, but if I'm able to prepare my protein sources. So I know that, okay, this today, or I'm having a chicken, I can cook it at the same time I'm preparing my salads. Or I know my protein sources, and they are pre cooked, then with the chicken. If I have freed my chicken, I can do it one day, it can be with the chicken pasta.
• 29:07
  Turo Virta: Next day I can have a wrap with chicken so I have the same I just put different seasoning.
• 29:11
  Turo Virta: And that's, that's how you make it so much easier. So you know already when the time is that you you are more likely not having too much time, and then you are actually, actually, when you you are already prepared, so you are going to be, you know, what you are going to eat, and then you don't have to turn into those weak options or fast foods, but you know that they are probably not going to be the most beneficial for your health.
• 29:41
  Turo Virta: So also, kind of things like I we are, I love to use like we have. It's called bimpy here.
• 29:52
  Turo Virta: It's kind of messy. What is cooking itself? So my wife absolutely loves it, because it's, it's kind of cooking itself. There's so many receipts you can you can search by the what you have, what ingredients we have at the home. So you don't need to go for buying groceries, but you just basically cook what you are already having, or or you are looking what would you have, and then you are preparing, cooking it day before. And then when, at the lunch time, when you come from a work or something, you can just basically heat it. It don't need to be fresh. Or, if you have time, it takes like 20 minutes, and you can meanwhile, you can do some other other things while that machine is cooking. So but if you have other options, what you might have is a kind of steel frying, grilling, or using slow cooker to make nutritious meals quickly. So all these kind of things. What you might be thinking like that, how you how to make it there is technology.
• 30:50
  Turo Virta: Is there. So just start using if you are not already using it into your advantage. The next hack, what I wanted to talk is about hydration and it it, it matters. It matters so much how much water it makes you it helps to boost your metabolism bit, not much, but it makes you feel fuller, and that is essential.
• 31:16
  Turo Virta: So you are making everything so much easier when you are drinking enough. And what I from my experience, most people are struggling myself to to eating enough or drinking enough water.
• 31:27
  Turo Virta: So it's, it's really habit, what you are building. And my favorite hack is just to have my water bottle always visible, so it's on my desk at this point, at the at this moment, I have a water bottle in front of me, and I have it. My favorite hack is to have, like I have around.
• 31:43
  Turo Virta: It's six point 0.6 bottle. So if you have a half liter bottle or bigger, you can, of course, change it, but I have a five proper pants. So my goal is to drink three liters of water every single day, so five rubber bands. So I know every time paddle is empty, I took one proper pan away, and then I know that the end of today, my goal is to have three or all bottles, or all band surveys. Or I know that I have had those. My five bottles, three liters of water and other Chinese is simply when you are going to toilet, what color your urine is. So if it's light colored, it's you are doing okay. If it's dark color, you gotta drink more. Or if you don't go toilet all, you gotta drink more. So those are, those are kind of easy hacks, how to remember it, and because it's not, it's not that hard. You just have to remember it, and more often, like some people need some notification in their phone or alarms or something, but just make sure that you are drinking enough water, so then the last things is just when you are going out. So it's not about that you can't have what you don't want. But thinking like that, if you have, for example, two options, try to look with substance, they have some kind of protein source first. That is the first that, if you have possible to have get like a disease, that are really baked or streamed, and ask, asking, maybe if you can get dressings or sources on the side. Because often those sources, they are, what is the problem? There is no problem if you are, you are having a drink, good meat or or fish. But if the problem is those sources, so having them on site, not maybe using all of them that they are not mixed, that is kind of simply a step.
• 33:41
  Turo Virta: And other tip is with the portion control, like, depending where you are, we are lucky here in Italy, that in most places, Fortune sizes are not that big, that they are okay. But for example, in the States or somewhere, I know the two sportuncs, they are huge. And good tip, what one of my clients shared with me that they are always asking half portions, so they are bringing only have fortune and auto have is already packing so that you are, you are not going to have whole portion.
• 34:15
  Turo Virta: You are not going to eat it, because once you have it on a plate, it's less likely that you are like, at least if you are like me, that you don't want to waste food. So you are going to finish everything and like, especially like, my that's kind of my weakness. Still, I really struggle to leave something behind. But if you ask it for like, already that before they bring it that it's half is already ready to go to so you are not, you don't need to touch it. So this is, this is just for option. Size is such a creative what I what, I think that this is one of the best things. What I have heard, what you would be doing for if you know that you are going to eat out on a place where fortune sizes are huge.
• 34:53
  Turo Virta: So, because I'm not, don't do it after, because that is, that is like one of my client will share this. He have tried to do it like already earlier, or doing it, doing it in a different way that you are, you are kind of that what you can't eat, that you are then taking with you.
• 35:17
  Turo Virta: But in those cases, you are always eating more than actually you should. But if you have it already, that this is mismat already before that is, that is such a game changer. So this was a quick episode for those kind of easiest swaps, and I would love to hear from you, like, what do you think about this episode, about my podcast? If you have any content ideas, feel free to shoot. Shoot me an email, turo@fitmetturo.com and I'd love to hear from you.
• 35:50
  Turo Virta: What do you think about episode?
• 35:54
  Turo Virta: What was your biggest takeaway?
• 35:54
  Turo Virta: You can DM me in my instagram at personal container, underline Turo or and have it. Let's have it. Set Of course, those. Thank you for all those who have done five star reviews. I'm not putting any commercial or any ads on this podcast, so it's only originally going organic or like, without any ads. And I what what is the best thing is to sharing this episode. So if you could do me a great favor and leave five star review, share this episode with one of your friend or even in your Instagram story and let me know what was your biggest takeaways, what was the most beneficial tip, what you heard, and those those are the, I don't need anything else. Thank you for listening, and not to you. Sure.