- Bolus can be easily defined as food that has been chewed up and mixed with saliva. Masication is the important first step in the process of digestion because it reduces the size of food particles, making them easy to swallow. Bolus is a part of everyday life, and it's important to know how to properly make it.
Materials Needed:
Food
A mouth
Steps:
Locate your food of choice, making sure that it's prepared for human consumption.
Cut your food into bite-sized pieces.
Make sure your mouth is properly lubricated with your own saliva.
Place the bite-sized piece of food in your mouth.
Begin chewing slowly. Do this by moving your lower jaw up and down and from side to side, so that your teeth mash the food into small swallowable pieces, or mush.
You've created bolus!
Tips
If you have chosen a food that you find distasteful, it is probably not a good idea to practice creating bolus with it. Try choosing pleasant food items, such as peaches or donuts.
When chewing, you can use your tongue to agitate the food and help the process along.
When you're finished with your bolus, you can swallow it.
Precautions
Don't make bolus with anything you are allergic to or that could be harmful to your health. Make sure it came from a reliable source and is clean from germs or contamination, and is indeed edible.
Don't attempt to make bolus if you don't have teeth. False teeth are okay to create bolus with, but make sure the food items that you're using are not too hard or sticky, like caramel or hard candy.
When chewing, be sure not to bite the inside of your cheek or your tongue, as this can be painful.
If you decide to swallow your bolus, make sure you've chewed it well so that you do not choke.
