As your digestive system adjusts, it may be helpful to keep in mind that foods with soluble

fiber (such as fruit, oats, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds) tend to produce more gas than
foods with insoluble fiber (a.k.a. roughage, including whole grains and veggies).

But don’t give up on fiber! Your body needs both types. With time and experimentation, you
will find high-fiber foods that agree with you.

Until you hit your fiber mark (the daily value is 25 grams), taking a probiotic may help with
regularity. Sticking to an exercise routine and drinking more water should make a difference
too.

Whole grains + onions + garlic

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Like beans, the iron and zinc you find in whole grains have low bioavailability, meaning they
get metabolized faster than your body can absorb them. "Whole grains contain natural
substances that may bind with minerals, which make them less absorbable," Sass says. But
research shows that sulfur-rich foods, such as garlic and onion, could make whole grains even
more nutritious. A 2010 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that
the addition of garlic and onion to cooked or raw food grains enhanced and accessibility

of iron and zinc in both cases. Pair the two by baking onions or garlic right into bread, Sass
says, or try adding a generous serving of onions to your sandwich.

Green tea + black pepper

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Forget adding honey to green tea. Research shows you may be better off sprinkling in some
black pepper. Green tea already has a special antioxidant called EGCG

, which is thought to boost metabolism and protect against cancer. But the key chemical in
black pepper, known as piperine, could make EGCG work even more efficiently. In a 2004
study for The Journal of Nutrition, researchers injected mice with either a combination of
EGCG and piperine or EGCG alone. They found that piperine

of EGCG, so it wasn't broken down as quickly in the blood stream. Don't want your tea to
have a spicy kick? Use the pair to soak meat or seafood. "Brewed tea with garlic, ginger, and
black pepper makes a perfect marinade," Sass says.