Do You Hara Hachi Bu?
In Japanese culture, they practice something called Hara Hachi Bu. It's the practice of eating until you are 80% full. We have all been there....eating well past that feeling of enough and squeezing in a few more bites until we are so uncomfortable that we end up saying, "I wish I hadn't eaten so much!" Then we make a promise to ourselves that we will never do that again! Only to turn around and repeat the process! UGH! We are literally 'stuffing" ourselves with food and when that happens we put our digestive system under a huge strain. With Hara Hachi Bu you become more aware of how you are eating and how much you are eating. Here are some guidelines to the practice:
Eat slowly. Eating fast means you eat more. Slowing down allows your body and your brain to realize when it's getting full.
Focus on your meal. Turn off computers, TV, cell phones, etc. While you eat - just eat. This helps us to slow down, consume less, and enjoy our food.
Eat on smaller plates. The portions we are served at restaurants are generally far too much. We need to watch how much food we are eating on average at every meal. Eat smaller amounts and take leftovers home for the next day.
Stop when you are satisfied and no longer hungry, but not overly stuffed.
Hugs!
Health & Life Coach Suzi
