Hara Hachi Bun Me (Stay Hungry, Stay Young)

Hara Hachi Bun Me
(Stay Hungry, Stay Young)

In rural Japan, where I was born and grew up, I had an early introduction to a true understanding of Gratitude for food. My mother, who raised eight of us children (practically on her own), scared us kids with stories of less fortunate children in third world countries who went to bed hungry every night. ‘Eat what’s on your plate and be grateful’, she would say. ‘There are starving children in the world who would love to have your dinner.’ We didn’t always go to bed hungry, but we always wanted ‘seconds’ but there just was not enough.
Funny how some things stick in our subconscious mind and tend to channel our behavior patterns. In this case, even though I was suspicious of my mother’s way to get us to eat food we didn’t particularly like, I am, to this day, grateful for her sometimes dramatic lectures.
I have since discovered how important a role Gratefulness plays in living a truly Abundant Life. With food especially, we in the modern civilized world, have choices that sometimes boggle the mind. How are we expected to be grateful, let alone eat in moderation when we can have whatever we want whenever we want it?

Who Wants to Live... For Real?
As the years pass and I learn more and more about how to maintain a vibrant, healthy, and sustainable life, I often have daydreams of living this way for a long, long, long time yet.
Imagine feeling great and being in a good humor most of the time even when you’re more than seventy years on the planet and... you never need even to take an aspirin! There are many factors which contribute to this condition but I believe the most significant ones are: Gratitude & Moderation.
When we are truly grateful from our hearts, a sacred energy permeates everything in our lives. In this way, as the ancient wisdom sages and mystics have said, ‘We are more in the world of Spirit than in the world of Materialism’, and Magic can happen. Being grateful, even for the simplest of things, is the secret to having an abundant life. Adopting this attitude, we will never go without and we will always have enough. Starting with the food we eat, we can express our gratitude by offering a Blessing and giving thanks to all who made our meal possible including the farmers, the cooks, and even the sun, the rain, and the soil. Many cultures, even to this day, believe that by giving heartfelt thanks for a meal blesses the food with healing and rejuvenating properties. For example, In rural Japan, the simple blessing, Ita Daki Masu, is said before every meal. Literally translated, this means, ‘Now This I Become.’
During our meals, it is recommended, in respect for the food and for good digestion and absorption, to keep conversations light and relative to family and pleasant events of the day.
The way we eat is an expression of who we are as people and it really doesn’t matter if the food is of the highest quality or not if we adhere to this simple formula: A way to experience the joy of eating is to share good food with good company in a pleasant and relaxed environment. Everything tastes better and is more nourishing under these conditions.

Staying Hungry: An Ancient Secret
Any type of excessive living can cause premature aging, but none so much as overeating. Overconsumption of denaturalized and rich foods is responsible for most modern day diseases. Processed and refined foods lack the vital nutrients our bodies need for normal, everyday sustenance. When we make these foods our diet of choice, we naturally over consume because our bodies are telling us, ‘Keep eating, I haven’t been nourished yet!’ Having experimented with this, I can attest to the fact that eating wholesome, fresh and organic foods in moderation, reduces cravings, indigestion, overeating and a host of other wonderful benefits. ‘Quality, Not Quantity.’
Common foods that are depleted in nutrients include white refined: sugar, breads, pasta, and rice. Nutrient dense foods such as fresh, raw or lightly steamed organic vegetables are a great way to transition from a diet of rich and denaturalized foods to a healthier whole foods diet. (These foods aid in the cooling of our digestive system and counteract expanded and inflamed intestines resulting from overeating meat, fried foods, and denaturalized foods.) Another undesirable side effect of overeating non-nutritious foods is a lack of zest for life. Lethargy, loss of vitality and a general apathetic attitude are symptoms of overeating and a poor quality diet.

’Chew, Chew, Chew... Tastes better when you do!’
Chewing your food well aids in digestion. It is an excellent deterrent to overeating and preventing weight gain. My first, great teacher always said I should chew each mouthful 100 times. Of course I rarely do but through years of practice, I am conscious of chewing my food thoroughly. Thirty to forty times before swallowing is, in my estimation, sufficient. After a while you forget about consciously chewing and will enjoy the delicious tastes of the whole foods you eat. As a youngster I did not agree with my mother’s insistence that I put my fork down after every bite, and chew my food, but these many years later, I have never lost this habit and I am grateful for it. The longest living people in the world practice moderation in their daily lives. Perhaps the most important factor is they stop eating when they are seventy-five percent satisfied. You will have a big appetite for life and be more creative when you leave the table when you are still hungry.
Enjoy eating and try not to be rigid or militant about a special diet or regimen. Relax after a meal but do not fall asleep. Relaxation helps with sleeping more deeply and restfully. You can take a leisurely walk, but nothing too strenuous.
Remember, as much as possible when choosing your food, be conscious of: Local, Organic, and In Season. It is hard to go wrong with this formula. My wife, Monika and I normally come together after Yoga and Meditation for the morning meal of simple miso soup, cooked cereal grains, along with carrot juice and a fresh fruit bowl in summer. We try to have the last meal of the day before three in the afternoon, usually around two o’clock. Sometimes we have a snack with tea later but we rarely eat anything heavy less than three or four hours before sleeping.
This assures a deep and restful sleep and... You wake up hungry! I hope you are inspired to try these easy and simple recommendations. You will see only after a few days a remarkable difference in your overall condition. If you wish to read further, please go to our website at HealingOurselves.org
Thank you, Charles Stone

Coming Soon: Is A Plant Based Diet Really Healthy?