The Okinawa Way of Eating

If you’re hoping to live as long as possible and avoid major diseases along the way, you might want to consider adopting the Japanese eating practice called Hara Hachi Bu. The phrase roughly translates to “eat till 80 percent full.” 

 

three women eating hotpot

 

It is a common dietary practice on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The Japanese have the longest lifespan of any country, and Okinawa has the longest lifespan of any prefecture in Japan. Okinawans also have a statistically low incidence of heart disease, cancer, and diseases of aging. Diet likely plays a large part in their exceptional health and longevity.

 

Hara Hachi Bu focuses on two factors:

 

  • Eating slowly. It takes 20 minutes on average for the stomach to transmit a feeling of fullness to the brain. Most people will have consumed their entire meal within that time; by the time they feel “full” they have likely eaten more than their fill. Hara Hachi Bu practitioners consume their food slowly, to allow the body and brain time to process the meal—and to stop before they ever feel totally full.

 

  • Mindfulness. The practice requires paying close attention to how the body responds to food. It also means leaving food on the plate in many cases, something with which many Westerners struggle. A bonus to eating mindfully is a greater enjoyment of food—savoring subtle secondary flavors, nuances of texture, and particulars of mouth feel.

 

This is more than theory to me. I can attest to the weight-control benefits of Hara Hachi Bu.  I’ve practiced this technique for about five years, and have maintained a low BMI during that period. I’ve also focused on mindful eating for almost my entire adult life, and I find I enjoy and appreciate food much more than I did when I was younger.

 

There is a wealth of scientific evidence that overeating—and the obesity that results from it—can lead to many serious diseases. I’ve also read several studies that advocate the benefits of intermittent fasting, so it seems only logical that limiting your caloric intake meal by meal would have a range of health benefits. 

 

It is, however, important to note that the typical Okinawan diet includes high amounts of Omega-3 oils, lean proteins, and low amounts of saturated fat. Those dietary factors likely also play a part in the population’s unusually robust good health.

 

Share some love if you like this post!

6940cookie-checkThe Okinawa Way of Eating

Related Articles

Cardio Exercise as Cancer Prevention

You can count cancer prevention among the many benefits of cardio exercise. A new research study publishing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has shown that regular cardio exercise is linked to

Read More »

Blood Sugar and Heart Disease

A study out of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine indicates that individuals with higher-than-normal blood sugar levels are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The researchers found that the risk

Read More »

Fighting Acid Reflux Naturally

Recently, researchers announced they have discovered a link between common proton pump inhibitors (PPIs: antacid medications like omeprazole) and the onset of age-related dementia. The results were a shock to the many people

Read More »

Is Seasonal Affective Disorder Real?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has gotten a lot of press over time. It’s been blamed for high rates of alcoholism in Scandinavian countries, winter time depression elsewhere, and other concerns. The truth is

Read More »

Are Weight Loss Drugs for You?

Unless you’ve been in a self-imposed news blackout for the last year, you’ve likely read coverage about the new drugs being used—extremely successfully—for weight loss. The drug getting the most press is semaglutide,

Read More »