The Best Times Of Day To Take Your Dietary Supplements
Many people decide at some point to enhance their health with dietary supplements. The problem is that it's easy to forget, especially if you need to take the products at different times during the day. Establishing a routine by matching your supplement regimen with other activities can help you cement this new activity into your daily schedule.
The rule of thumb is to take supplements when doing so will be most effective for their purposes, as well as convenient for you.
Pre-Breakfast Routine
If any of your dietary supplements should be taken on an empty stomach, consuming them when you first get up is convenient. Swallow the products with a full glass of water, then enjoy your shower and get ready for the day before eating breakfast.
Breakfast & Lunch
Taking a multivitamin with breakfast is probably the easiest way to get this one into your system. If you also take separate vitamin supplements, such as a vitamin C tablet or a B-complex product, doing so with breakfast makes this easy to remember. In addition, B vitamins boost energy, so taking them early in your day is advantageous.
If you skip breakfast, however, take your multivitamin at a different time of the day with food -- perhaps with lunch. Fat-soluble vitamins such as A and D need to be ingested with food for proper absorption.
Supplements that you take once daily should be consumed around the same time each day, since they are typically crafted with a 24-hour time frame in mind.
Pre-Exercise Regimen
Many people take energy supplements just before working out at the gym or doing other forms of exercise. These products are intended to provide a good burst of energy to help you stay focused on your efforts. Protein shakes packed with amino acids also are generally intended to be consumed relatively soon before exercising.
Workout Recovery Routine
You can also buy workout recovery supplements that maintain your energy levels after you're done exercising, preventing fatigue that could otherwise develop. That's especially helpful if you like to exercise over your lunch break and need to get back to work immediately afterward.
Start Your Routine
Get organized today and start your routine tomorrow. Put any products that you want to take first thing in the morning in a place where you'll see them. Your breakfast supplements can go next to your coffeepot, box of cereal or any other items that provide a reminder. If you want to take any at lunchtime, keep them at work, in your vehicle or somewhere else that's convenient. If you need to put sticky notes up to remind you when it's time for your supplements, do so!
