Hara Hachi Bu - 80% Full

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Hara hachi bu is Japanese, which roughly translates to “eat till eight parts full”.  It is a Confucian teaching that advises us to eat until 80% full, in order to prolong life.  

Scientifically, when we eat until very full, we are in fact stretching our stomach, thus increasing the need for even more food intake in the future in order to feel full.  This is a chain reaction.  Hence some people's weight keep going up. Some doctors advise doing Bariatric surgery (reduce stomach size) which helps reduce food craving.

How do we know when we have reached 80% then?  Well, it is not a target.  It is a feeling. We eat till just before we have that uncomfortable bloated feeling in the stomach.  For a start, gauge ourselves during the next few meals so as to ascertain how much food for each of us is appropriate.

I drink a glass of water before my meals.  This makes me feel fuller and eat less.

Reading Material.

Cover pic : Healthy Kueh Pie Tee

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