The secret of 80 percent is one of the most common sayings in Japan, “Hara hachibu”, which is repeated before or after a meal and means something like “Fill your stomach 80 percent.” The lesson to be learned from The 80 Percent Secret is that we should stop eating when we feel full. In other words, if you stop eating when you think you’re 80% full, you’re probably 100% full (you just don’t know yet).
When most people feel full and stop eating, they have actually already eaten beyond their natural satiety. They also eat less as they believe in Hara Hachibu, which means stop eating when you are 80% full. Okinawan older people also practice hara-hachi-bu – they eat until they are only 80% full. They eat more than one kilogram of vegetables, fruits and legumes such as soy per day.
Okinawans are very spiritual people and they are very practical when it comes to spirituality or religion. Okinawans have a slower sense of time, nothing seems to start on time, but eventually they get things done. Okinawans train their bodies regularly with low-intensity exercise and only eat until they feel 80% full, in line with the ancient wisdom against overeating. That’s why Okinawans stop eating when they feel like their stomach reaches 80% of its capacity, instead of overeating and wearing down their body with long digestion processes that speed up cell oxidation.
The secret to long-term moderate eating is to emulate the environment and the habits of Okinawans. Simple changes to your daily eating habits can help you practice the secret hachi-bu to improve your health or lose weight. Practicing Hara Hachi Bu can help control your weight and maintain health for a longer life. Hara Hachi Bu is beneficial for people suffering from obesity, compulsive overeating and eating disorders. It’s time to try Hara Hachi Bu in pursuit of a long and healthy life like the inhabitants of the Japanese island of Okinawa.
Just remember to eat small meals and only up to 80% of a full stomach. How you eat is an integral part of Hara Hachi Bu. The principle of Hara Hati Bu goes back to the Confucian rule that you should eat only as much as you need until your stomach is 80 percent full. This is largely due to the fact that Okinawans simply consume fewer calories than the average person due to the cultural practice of eating until you are only 80% full, known as Hara Hachi Bu. They keep the portions small, adhering to the Okinawan mantra “hara hachi bu,” which means “eat until 8/10 full.”
By presenting Japanese food on many small plates, Japanese tend to eat less. When you eat a few small plates instead of one big meal, you feel like you should eat a lot. Think about how much you usually eat, and then eat less. Instead of thinking you’re eating until you’re full, think of it as eating until you’re not hungry.
If you stop eating when you feel 80% full, you will avoid feeling full and cut calories in a healthy and natural way. It originated in Okinawa City, and people use this advice to control their eating habits.
The people on the island eat what they can, and most of the time their food is fresh and raw. People in the area eat less meat and processed foods and drink less alcohol. They eat less (only 80% of what they need), work more, and stay socially connected through social groups.
The Japanese are always on the go, and they have some humble routines that help them keep their lives busy. They haven’t found the Fountain of Youth yet, but the Okinawan elders seem to know the secret to longevity and happiness. If you ask many healthy 100-year-olds in the Okinawa region of Japan, they will explain their secrets using the original Hachibu principle.
Okinawa is one of the blue zones or special hotspots in the world, where people live exceptionally long and healthy lives. Okinawa, the Japanese archipelago, is one of the five blue zones in the world with a large number of centenarians. One of the blue areas is the Japanese island of Okinawa, which is the largest of the Japanese islands of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands.
The main island of Okinawa in Japan, Okinawa is one of five places in the world that National Geographic author and researcher Dan Buettner calls the “blue zone” where he says people live the longest and happiest lives. Whether you go to a typical Okinawan themed restaurant in Tokyo or a touristy one on the main island of Okinawa, the menu is rife with pork and the alcohol is as strong as in Japan.