3 sticky notes (one says "body", one says "spirit" and one says "mind") on a chalkboard with curved arrows drawn between them to make a circle. The word "healthy" is written inside the circle.

Hara Hachi Bun Me is a Japanese phrase meaning ‘Belly 80 % full’ and refers to the Confucian concept of not eating to satiation, of stopping short of full fullness. The concept is found in other cultures including Chinese saying: “Chīfàn qī fēn bǎo, sān fēn han” (only eat 7 parts full, and wear 3 parts less) and the Middle Eastern proverb: “You should fill one third of the stomach with liquid, another third with food, and leave the rest empty.” Indeed, the complete quote is “Hara hachi bun ni yamai nashi, hara juuni bun ni isha tarazu”, which in English translates to “Eight parts of a full stomach sustain the man; the other two sustain the doctor”.

We all know that it takes at least 20 or 30 minutes for our stomachs to give us complete feedback; many a time I’ve thought I’d eaten moderately only to feel a bit over full 30 minutes later. I love the 80% concept because it gives me a goal, a constraint, a plan and thus motivates me to eat slower, pace myself, and savor my food all the more, stretching out the experience.

Closing Quotes:

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” – François de La Rochefoucauld, 1613-1680

“If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.” – Epictetus, (c. 50–c. 138)

“Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands and then eat just one of those pieces.” – Judith Viorst, b. 1931

As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier