Do you hara hachi bu? I have been practicing this for the past few months and feel it has been a good thing. So, what is hara hachi bu? It is a Confucian teaching practiced by the Okinawans. It is often said before meals and is basically translated to “eat until you’re 80% full.”

Okinawa Islands

Okinawa is an island in Japan, and it is an area that is considered a Blue Zone. Blue Zones are areas that boast a high number of centurions in their populations.

Why would this mantra be helpful?

Well, mindful eating is important. For instance, many of us eat on the run, not taking the time to appreciate our food. We Americans often eat until we are full, but in Okinawa the practice is to eat until no longer hungry. Obviously this is a slight difference but an important one. Okinawans have one of the lowest rates of illness from heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

Did you know our stomach takes about 20 minutes to communicate to our brain to let it know we are full? Consequently, eating quickly without mindfulness, we often eat too much. Have you ever done this – eaten quickly and then felt bloated and stuffed? You have overeaten.

Some of the challenges with overeating:

• Your stomach will take longer to process the food which consequently can lead to cellular oxidation which ages you faster.
• Weight gain happens as additional calories are consumed which adds up meal after meal, day after day.
• Your Stomach continues to stretch. As it stretches, it will take more food to feel full, and ultimately you will eat even more.

Here are some tips to help you start this practice.

• Eat more slowly! This one has been a challenge for me as I have always been a fast eater. Yet, we need to slow down in order to let our body respond to the signals that we are no longer hungry.
• Chew your food well as this will help you eat more slowly, plus it helps with your digestion.
• Focus on your food. This is considered mindful eating. Turn off the TV, computer, phone, or whatever other distractions there may be. Just eat, enjoy the food and the company in which you are with.
• Smaller plates, bowls, etc. can be helpful too. We have all been trained to “clean” our plates. So, by using smaller plates, we will be less likely to dish up as much food and ultimately eat less.

Hara hachi bu and me

For me, hara hachi bu has been helpful to not overeat to the point of feeling too full and that awful bloated feeling. Am I successful 100% of the time? Nope, sometimes I still will overdo it, but my body will remind me that it doesn’t like it. The bloated, uncomfortable feeling is there to remind me to listen to my body in the future.

What do you think? Will start to practice hara hachi bu? Do you have tips that help you eat more mindfully?

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Heather

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