Hara hachi bu for health and longevity
/The Okinawan Japanese have a saying: hara hachi bu, which means, roughly translated, “Stop eating when you are 80% full”.
The French say, “J’ai assez mangé", translated to “I have eaten enough”.
North Americans? We tend to say, “I’m so full”.
Sadly, this is one of the reasons so many people in North America are struggling with chronic illnesses and weight gain. Simply eating too much.
Now – truth be told - I don’t have any proof that the French phrase, “J’ai assez mangé” has led to healthier lives in France, but given that cheese, bread and wine are the fabric of their eating culture, and yet their obesity rates are the lowest in the OECD, my guess is yes. But, there has definitely been a great deal of interest in hara hachi bu, and the health outcomes of those who practice it.
Hara hachi bu
Hara hachi bu is a Confucian teaching and cultural practice from Okinawa, Japan. Literally translated, it means, “eat until you are 8 parts (out of 10) full ”.
Okinawa is one of the world’s Blue Zone regions, where its people have one of the longest life expectancies in the world, and they have been practicing hara hachi bu for almost a thousand years. Dan Buettner, the man behind the research on The Blue Zones, says that if you have ever had the privilege of dining with an Okinawan elder, you would hear them "intone this Confucian-inspired adage before beginning the meal".
Of course it’s not the only reason for their health and long life expectancy, but it’s definitely part of the reason. That’s because it is a form of calorie restriction, but without the negative connotation.
Reducing caloric intake increases health, cognition and longevity
Research has shown that reducing our caloric intake can boost cognitive capacity, reduce cellular aging and promote longevity.[i] It’s based on the premise of nearly a century of scientific data that stressing our bodies and brains through caloric restriction (in a society where we eat more than we need) increases the resilience of our cells, making them stronger.
It’s like our muscles – the more we stress them the stronger they get. From another angle, it’s also one of the reasons cold water therapy is so popular – stressing our bodies to make us more resilient.
But back to food. Not only can reducing caloric intake increase the body and brain’s cellular resilience, but, for women especially, it can help us keep a healthy and stable weight, which in turn helps us avoid insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease and even hot flashes – all things that are aggravated by excess body fat.
How to eat like an Okinawan
Whole plant foods make up 90% of the traditional Okinawan diet, but to specifically help prevent overeating, here are some tips below:
Manage your blood sugar levels – Are you getting enough protein and fat? How many refined carbohydrates are you eating during the course of a day? Try to stick with whole grains, always pair them with a protein or fat, and try to have carbs at just 1-2 meals instead of 3. Then go wild on vegetables and leafy greens :-)
Slow down your eating - Drink a glass of water 15 minutes before eating, and/or snack on vegetables and hummus (or another healthy dip) while preparing your meal. This curbs your appetite, getting rid of that “hangry” feeling, and allows you to eat more slowly instead of "shovelling". It takes about 20 minutes before leptin, our satiety hormone, triggers our brain to tell us we are full, so slowing down our pace of eating helps avoid overeating before our brain signals we are full. Starting with the vegetable also knocks off a vegetable serving, something I recommend we should always strive to do.
Focus on better sleeps – Having poor sleeps disrupts our energy balance hormones. Ghrelin, known as the "hunger hormone", signals us to eat, and leptin, the satiety hormone, directs us to stop eating. These hormones become disrupted when we lack sleep, where it feels like ghrelin is constantly being triggered (we want to eat non-stop, especially carbohydrates) and leptin is nowhere in sight.
Opt for smaller plates – this seems almost too simple but it is very effective. The larger the plate / bowl, the larger the serving. Period.
Sit down when you are eating, and be mindful of what you are putting in your mouth – Standing up or walking around while eating disrupts our digestive process, potentially leading to bloating and poor absorption of nutrients, and often overeating. Sit down, take a couple of deep breaths, recite hara hachi bu to yourself, and enjoy your meal.
Ikigai and Moai
Eating in moderation by following the practice of hara hachi bu can absolutely take us to the next level of health, but of course nothing is done in a vacuum. I felt compelled to share two other Okinawan practices attributed to their longevity, even though I am ending on a bit of a tangent.
Ikigai translates to “reason to live” - what we would consider purpose. And Moai? It refers to having a group of lifelong friends.
At the end of the day, it's important to consider all the pillars of health, including those that are food for our soul, like Ikigai and Moai.
Thanks for reading :)
Gillian xx
PS - If you are struggling with a health issue, feel free to reach out for a discovery call. Let me help you set some goals - nutrition, sleep, cognitive health, stress management and/or movement - and put some systems in place to help take you to the next level. You can reach me by replying to this email or at gbwellness.ca.
[i] Mattson MP, et al. J Nutr Biochem 2005;16: 129-137