You don't want your stomach to work any harder than it is supposed to. Your stomach actually moves when it is digesting food. The muscles twist and contract to mix your food together. (This is why your stomach growls if it is empty, because it is just squeezing air.) If you are swalling whole pieces, this can actually cause your stomach to stretch by overworking it.

Chewing each mouthful of food thoroughly and eating slowly can improve your overall health. You should chew each mouthful 50 times in 30 seconds. This will decrease the amount of intestinal gas you have and you will find your appetite will be satisfied quicker.

Helpful hint:
Your stomach is a little bigger than a loose fist. Your meals should be the same size. Think about when you feed a baby. You never give them more than the size of their fist, so why wouldn't the same rule go for adults?

If you take smaller bites and eat slower, you will be taking in less air. If you take in less air, you will burp less. If you burp less, you won't embarrass your partner in the mall, like my husband does to me!

By changing the way you eat (literally), you will train your body's digestive system to be more efficient and your stomach will let you know when you are full.

Interesting note:
A study has been done to show that your body can lose up to 11 pounds of fat each year by chewing sugar-free gum. That's almost a pound each month!