Chew softer foods such as berries, fruit, or cooked vegetables at least 5 times so your saliva and digestive enzymes can mix with your food to aid in digestion. Focus on chewing all of the food in your mouth to help form a bolus, which is a round mass of food that makes swallowing safer and easier.  Some fruits, like watermelon, may only take 4-5 chews before it’s broken down enough to be easily digested. Avoid taking 1-2 bites and then swallowing your food or it won’t be properly digested, and you can experience gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. Count each of your bites as you chew tougher or crunchier foods such as cooked meat and vegetables like celery, radishes, or carrots to help break them down into more easily digestible pieces. Some foods may not need to be chewed as many times before they’re broken down enough to be swallowed easily, but aim for 30 chews. Take your time and count each of your chews to help slow yourself down and chew your food properly. Take your bites of food and chew them slowly, focusing on each chew so you can properly break the food down and mix it with digestive enzymes in your saliva. Avoid using quick, choppy bites, which won’t properly grind up your food. Eating more slowly also gives your stomach time to signal to your brain that you’re full, which will help you avoid overeating. Move harder or tougher foods such as nuts, seeds, and crunchy vegetables to the back of your mouth where your molars are so they can be properly chewed and broken up to make swallowing and digesting them easier. Avoid swallowing hard or tough pieces of food whole to reduce digestive issues. Your molars are designed to help you chew up tougher foods, so use them! As you’re chewing your food and breaking it down, use your tongue to move the pieces around your mouth so all of the food is evenly and properly chewed. Feel for pieces of food in your mouth with your tongue and move unchewed bits over to your teeth so it can be properly chewed. Be careful not to bite your tongue! Continue chewing your food until it’s liquid and there aren’t any pieces that are still crunchy or tough. When the food is evenly chewed and broken down, you can swallow it and take another bite. Some foods will require more chewing than others, so make sure your food is smooth and liquid before you swallow.

Summary:
Break up softer foods by chewing them 5-10 times. Start breaking down meat and crunchy vegetables by chewing them 30 times. Keep a slow and steady pace when you chew your food. Use your molars to chew tougher foods to break them up. Move food around in your mouth with your tongue. Swallow your food when there aren’t any more lumps in it.