Tip # 4 Chew your food!

This sounds like something your mother would have said to you.  Well, mother was right.  It is important to chew food so that your digestive tract can properly process your food.  But how much chewing is enough?  Ideally, chewing your food until it becomes liquid would be the best.  Depending on the amount and type of food you put in your mouth, this could vary from anywhere between twenty to fifty bites!  An apple or steak would take much longer to get to the liquid stage than mashed potatoes. Chewing steak until it becomes liquid may seem like a long time but I encourage you to try it once and observe how your body reacts.  This will give you an idea about how you feel when you chew properly. Alternatively, you may take smaller bites and wait until you have swallowed before taking another mouthful.  This will slow down your eating as well as increase your mindfulness during the meal. Chew, chew, chew!!