Hara Hachi Bu: The Healthful Japanese Philosophy of Eating

Many of us were raised to clean our plates and never waste food. Then as struggling adults, we took advantage of free food and got our money's worth at buffets. The habit of always filling up often leads to obesity or disordered eating and a lifestyle of yo-yo dieting. Contrast this with the Japanese philosophy of eating called hara hachi bu, which encourages us to eat until we are around 80% full. That idea resets our conception of satiety and staves off indigestion. 

While the 80% rule is what you hear most about this philosophy, hara hachi bu involves much more. It is about developing a balanced relationship with food in which we slow down, enjoy eating, and choose more nutrititous things to eat. That means being more aware of what we consume instead of just how much. Hara hachi bu has been shown to be effective in weight loss, but it's not a diet. Rather, it's a long term way of eating that leads to long term health benefits. Read up on hara hachi bu and seven tips for trying it out at the Conversation. -via Real Clear Science

(Image credit: MIKI Yoshihito)