🌿 Folk Prescriptions

There was an experiment conducted where one group of rats were fed only to eight-tenths full, while another group was allowed free access to food. The results showed that the rats fed to eight-tenths full lived longer. Americans observed worms, white mice, rats, and monkeys, reducing their caloric intake by 30%, and found that their lifespans increased by 30% compared to those on a normal diet. Observations of humans also show that long-lived individuals are rarely obese. Bama Yao Autonomous County in the northern suburbs of Nanning, economically underdeveloped but renowned for longevity, has many centenarians. One of their health practices is eating only eight-tenths full and frequently consuming vegetarian meals. Of course, there are many other postnatal factors contributing to longevity, and various methods exist for health preservation, but the habit of not overeating—eating only eight-tenths full—is certainly worth emulating.
Chinese folk wisdom includes “Less is better, more is harmful” and “Do not eat greedily when hungry, nor drink excessively when thirsty.” The "New Book on Elderly Care and Longevity" states: “Elderly people should never be completely full.” The "Huangdi Neijing" emphasizes: “Eat with moderation… thus maintaining harmony between body and spirit, living out one’s natural lifespan, reaching a hundred years before passing away.” These are all summaries of longevity experiences. Excessive calorie intake leads to obesity, which causes so-called “diseases of affluence,” inevitably shortening life.
Why restricting calories to some extent prolongs life remains to be further studied physiologically. It is speculated that when the body senses limited energy supply, metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Slower metabolism reduces the production of toxic byproducts and waste, lessens the burden on absorption and detoxification, thereby decreasing intense metabolic and hyperactive physiological processes. Operating at a relatively lower metabolic level, with reduced catabolism, the organism achieves extended lifespan. Naturally, these hypotheses require further validation; animal trial results may not fully apply to humans. Nevertheless, the insight into longevity through eating eight-tenths full deserves serious attention and exploration.
How to achieve “eight-tenths full”? First, one must have willpower—remain unmoved by delicacies even when slightly hungry, and decisively leave the table. When genuinely hungry at the next mealtime, it indicates good spleen and stomach function and healthy appetite. Drinking soup or congee before meals can create early satiety, helping prevent overeating. Overweight individuals often experience excessive appetite and binge eating because fat cells secrete substances stimulating hunger. Delicate foods further stimulate appetite, making one crave more, causing the stomach to expand gradually, making satiety harder to achieve—thus creating a vicious cycle. Traditional Chinese medicine mentions “hidden fire in the stomach, excessive hunger despite eating”—indicating that overly strong appetite is pathological. The principle of eating eight-tenths full should be adapted based on individual conditions, flexibly applied. However, patients with malnutrition, advanced cancer with cachexia, or severe hypoproteinemia should not strictly adhere to eating only eight-tenths full.