Hara Hachi Bu

Hara Hachi Bu is a saying from Okinawa in Southern Japan that advises people to stop eating when they're 80% full. Okinawa is famous for the longevity of the people who live there.

I learned it from Michael Pollan's excellent book Food Rules many years ago. He shares traditions, including the Ayurvedic in India, the Chinese, and the prophet Muhammad, that all counsel stopping eating earlier than your stomach might be telling you. That, and the German expression, "You need to tie off the sack before it gets completely full."

Hara hachi bu also appears in Dan Buettner's Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. Blue Zones are areas in the world with the longest lifespans. Dan Buettner identifies eating to no more than 80% full as one potential factor in Okinawans' long lives.

The more literal translation of hara hachi bu is stomach eight parts (out of ten).

Some other methods to eat less without sacrificing enjoyment include:

• Eat slowly so that changes in hunger signals from your stomach have a chance to reach your brain
• Avoid distractions such as the TV while eating (when eating dinner, just eat dinner?)
• Use smaller plates
• Have a good selection of convenient (stacking) Tupperware for storing leftovers

Also see:

• When drinking tea, just drink tea (I like this sketch—I have it on my wall—so I drew hara hachi bu in the same Ligne Claire style)
• Smaller plates
• Non-stacking Tupperware should be destroyed
• Advice to eat well from Michael Pollan
• 1.5 billion heartbeats

It's sometimes misspelled hari hachi bu or said as hara hachi bun me.