Hara hachi bu

Repeat after me, “Hara hachi bu, hara hachi bu”. Yep, that’s our March mantra! This is an ancient Confucian saying, meaning eat until you are 80% full.

The Okinawans in Japan have embraced this cultural habit of calorie control since the beginning of the twenty first century. It ensures staying lean and fit your entire life.

And this tradional approach has plenty of evidence to suggest it’s the way to go.

In Okinawa, heart disease and stroke rates are eighty per cent lower than in the US. Cholesterol levels and homocysteine levels are typically low and blood pressure at goal levels. Rates of cancer are 50–80% lower, especially breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancer. Hip fractures are 20% lower compared to mainland Japanese and 40% lower than in the US. Dementia is rare.

The practise of hara hachi bu centres on consciously controlled portion sizes. And of course this means embracing one of my favourite nagging themes . . .slow down eating!! It takes receptors in the stomach 20 minutes to register that you are full, so if we are to stop eating at 80% full, we need to conscientiously adapt the chew each mouthful 20 times method and to eat mindfully. The results of not practising hara hachi bu is a constant stretching of the stomach, which in turn increases the amount of food needed to feel full. . . and we all know what happens then!

The Okinawans’ traditional diet is low calorie, mostly plant based, with fish and soy foods featuring predominately, as well as a wide variety of vegetables. It also encompasses lifestyle issues, encouraging regular, life-long physical activity (tai chi, walking and gardening are common forms of exercise).

So let’s embrace the 80% rule, twig our lifestyle a little and align with hara hachi bu!