Hara Hachi Bun Me, 腹八分目
As a young teenager, I recall watching an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show featuring the Okinawan people of Japan. They are known for their longevity thanks to their lifestyle. Their culture fosters a strong social network referred to “moai,” meaning a lifelong circle of friends, a balanced predominately plant-based diet, a place that values gardening and a strong sense of purpose.
One fundamental philosophy that has long resonated with me is one of their proverbs, “Hara hachi bun me” or “腹八分目,” which means until eat until you are 80% full. I was first perplexed by this phrase as I grew up in the 90’s where kids were encouraged to clean their plates, but as I have made an effort to implement healthy habits, this sage was brought back to mind. I spent some time researching the Okinawan people and the meaning of this phrase to see how to go about this. How do you know when you are 80% full? The truth is, we don’t. However; with intuitive or mindful eating, when we start questioning if we are done, that is a signal to stop for a few minutes and take pause. Scientific studies have shown it can take twenty-minutes of eating to feel full. This is why eating slowly and mindfully not only promotes enjoyable eating and good digestion, but also helps prevent over-eating.
Michal Pollan, renowned author, journalist, activist and basically a food anthropologist sums his expertise into one simple statement:
“Eat real food.
Not too much.
Mostly plants.”
I’ve been gleaning from these two principles to practically guide me as I redefine my relationship with food. I don’t want a million rules. I want simple. Both the Okinawan people and Pollan have created a culture where healthy eating isn’t an obsession or complicated equation, it’s just a way of life to feed the body with good fuel. If you see me twirling my fork on my plate, chances are I am probably just practicing Hara hachi bun me!
