Roughly translated “hara hachi bu” is a Japanese adage to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full. (Getty Images)

Roughly translated “hara hachi bu” is a Japanese adage to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full. (Getty Images)

Four reasons you should try hara hachi bu in the new year

The Confucian-inspired adage is a reminder to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full.

What’s hara hachi bu, you ask?

No, it’s not a new food or a trendy spice. It’s a way of eating and enjoying food that originated in Japan.

And it seems to be working, because people live longer and healthier lives in Japan than any other place in the world. Roughly translated “hara hachi bu” is a Confucian-inspired adage to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full.

That’s right — don’t wait until you’re stuffed or uncomfortable — stop when you’re pleasantly satisfied. Why should you embrace this health-promoting habit in the new year? Here are four reasons.

You’ll feel fuller sooner. If we slow down our eating, we can actually train our minds to think differently and our stomachs to feel differently so we can be satisfied with less food. Eating slower means eating less, which means eating faster means eating more. Much more than our bodies need. If we eat slower, we are able to control portions better and eat consistently less calories, which helps us manage our weight more effectively and sustainably. That translates into less weight gain and staying at a certain weight more achievable in the long term.

You’ll tune in to your hunger cues. When we eat fast, we ignore what our brains are telling us and how we are feeling. We can miss the signs that our hunger has gone away. It takes time to get used to eating less. Eating until we are no longer hungry is different than eating until we are full. If we are feeling full, we have already eaten beyond the disappearance of hunger. Many people have never experienced what it is like to eat until 80 percent full. Focusing on how we are feeling as we are eating helps us to stop eating before we are full.

You’ll enjoy your food more. Practicing hara hachi bu allows us to enjoy our food more — it’s taste, texture, flavors. Eating food should be pleasurable and satisfying. When we focus on eating and how our food looks, tastes and feels in our mouths, as well as how we feel when we are done eating it, we experience more satisfaction from it. It makes overeating and binging less likely. It also gives us control over how much we eat and how we feel after!

You’ll have better digestion. Lastly, when we eat in the hara hachi bu style, we can prevent a host of digestive issues from occurring. Chewing more with each bite (until there is only a paste in your mouth) helps the digestive process get started on the right path. This necessary churning and pulverizing, mixed with saliva and digestive juices, helps prevent swallowing air and chunks of food that can cause bloating, reflux, burping, gas and stomach upset.

Mastering hara hachi bu may just be the trick you need to improve your health in the new year. Start this good habit now, and it could stick with you for the rest of your life — bringing more lasting health and enjoyment than any diet or resolution.

Disclaimer: This is for information only and not intended as personal medical advice.

Kim Larson is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified health and wellness coach and founder of Total Health. Visit www.totalhealthrd.com or www.facebook.com/totalhealthnutrition for more.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Everett P. Fog, 15, in front of an Everett mural along Colby Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Hello, Everett! No escape when your name is same as the town

Everett P. Fog, 15, sees and hears his first name wherever he goes. His middle name is also epic.

Jared Meads takes a breath after dunking in an ice bath in his back yard while his son Fallen, 5, reads off the water temperature on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Chill out: Dive into the cold plunge craze

Plungers say they get mental clarity and relief for ails in icy water in tubs, troughs and clubs.

Schack exhibit to highlight Camano Island watercolorists

“Four Decades of Friendship: John Ebner & John Ringen” will be on display Jan. 16 through Feb. 9.

XRT Trim Adds Rugged Features Designed For Light Off-Roading
Hyundai Introduces Smarter, More Capable Tucson Compact SUV For 2025

Innovative New Convenience And Safety Features Add Value

Sequoia photo provided by Toyota USA Newsroom
If Big Is Better, 2024 Toyota Sequoia Is Best

4WD Pro Hybrid With 3-Rows Elevates Full-Size

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser (Provided by Toyota).
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser revives its roots

After a 3-year hiatus, the go-anywhere SUV returns with a more adventurous vibe.

Enjoy the wilderness in the CX-50. Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda CX-50 Adds Hybrid Capability to Turbo Options

Line-Up Receives More Robust List Of Standard Equipment

Practical And Functional bZ4X basks in sunshine. Photo provided by Toyota Newsroom.
2024 bZ4X Puts Toyota Twist On All-Electric SUV’s

Modern Styling, Tech & All-Wheel Drive Highlight

Photo provided by Mazda USA Newsroom
2025 Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus Hatch Delivers Value

Plus Functionality of AWD And G-Vectoring

2025 Mazda CX-90 Turbo SUV (Provided by Mazda)
2025 CX-90 Turbo models get Mazda’s most powerful engine

Mazda’s largest-ever SUV is equipped to handle the weight, with fuel efficiency kept in check.

Provided by Bridges Pets, Gifts, & Water Gardens.
Discover where to find the best pet supplies in town

Need the perfect store to spoil your furry friends? Herald readers have you covered.

VW Jetta SEL is a sedan that passes for a coupe. Photo provided by Volkswagen U.S. Media.
2025 VW Jetta Offers Greater Refinement, Technology And Value

A Perfect Choice For Small Families And Commuters

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.