Did you make a New Year’s Resolution this year? Have you still kept your resolution? So many of us make resolutions about diet, eating and exercise. I haven’t made resolutions for years, but when I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer I really started paying attention to my diet and exercise for the long-haul.

There are so many ways of eating. There are so many different diets. It can be challenging to navigate the journey we call eating. A small tune-up to your eating habits, rather than a complete overhaul, is a good place to start.

I have discovered a practice that does not require special tools, special food or a special place. You can practice anywhere. Basically this healthy eating practice is called “Hara Hachi Bu”. The practice comes from the Okinawan culture and it means, simply, eating until you are 80 percent full. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry. The point of a good meal is not to keep eating until you feel uncomfortably full, but rather to mindfully enjoy your meal wherever you are and stop eating when you are ALMOST full.

This is not an easy practice, especially if you are really enjoying the meal that you are eating. But remember, you can always put the food away for another meal and enjoy it again. If you are eating at a restaurant, take the food home rather than eat it all to feel as if you have to get your money’s worth.

I am not providing a recipe with this post. What I would suggest, is that you make one of your favorite meals or go out to one of your favorite restaurants and practice. Simply practice eating until you are 80 percent full and see where it takes you. I would love to hear how it goes.

– By Deborah Binder

Deborah Binder lives in South Snohomish County with her family. She is “dancing with N.E.D.” (no evidence of disease) after being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in 2009. She is a foodie who loves to cook from scratch and share here experiments with her family. She attended culinary school on the East Coast and currently chef assists at PCC Cooks and NuCulinary Cooking School. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including butter.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.