It may sound like a silly idea, but most people need reminders even for daily tasks such as remembering to take their supplements. If you had a life-threatening illness that required regular medicine on a daily basis, you would not want to forget, and you would certainly take whatever measures were necessary to ensure that you took your medication. The same measures can be taken for the daily intake of your supplements.

While hopefully you do not have any illness or condition that requires such a strict regimen, your general health and well-being should be of enough importance to you to make sure you take your supplements every day. Some people use a fairly simple system such as taking their various supplements with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or right before they go to bed. Others actually set a little alarm on their cell phone or watch to remind them to take their pills. This idea is perfect for when you need to take supplements and different intervals during the day. It does not matter which method you employ, the important part is remembering to take them regularly.

One thing to keep in mind when you plan and schedule your supplement use is that certain supplements should be taken on an empty stomach, while others need to be taken with food. Make sure to read the label, which is often in very tiny print, for directions as to how your supplements should be ingested. This is important because if you take one on an empty stomach that is meant to be taken with food, your stomach lining could become irritated, you could get nauseous and vomit or you may have other unwanted symptoms. Conversely, if you take a supplement that is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach with food instead, you may not get the full benefit of the supplement because the digestion process, or the food itself, may hinder its efficacy. Be sure to take the ones you need to take on an empty stomach first thing in the morning or right before you retire for the night, and take the ones that require food with a meal or a snack.

Another thing to consider about taking your daily supplements is purchasing a travel box for your supplements. It is important to be consistent with them, and often when people travel, they accidentally forget to take them or end up taking them at times that are not as effective. You can easily prevent this by purchasing a travel vitamin box, which you can find at a local drug store near the pharmacy, for very little money. There is no sense scheduling your supplements if you are going to leave them at home twenty five percent of the time. Most travel boxes have the days of the week for you to put your supplements into.

It is very important to plan and schedule your supplements depending on what type of supplements you are actually taking. In other words, if you are taking supplement "A," or a drug prescribed by a doctor for a long period of time so that it is built up in your system, you may not be able to take supplement "B" until you stop taking "A" because there is a contraindication. Sometimes, various supplements contradict with others, and should not be used together. For example, many people enjoy the benefits of St. Johns Wort for depression and anxiety relief. However, if you have previously been prescribed an antidepressant by your doctor in a class called SSRI’s, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, Paxil, Effexor or Zoloft, you should not start a regimen of the herb St. Johns Wort until speaking with your doctor. In all likelihood, he or she will have you taper off of the prescription drug and then begin the herbal regimen.

Some supplements need to be metabolized in fat while others are metabolized in water. This means that fat-soluble vitamins and/or minerals, or other supplements, should be taken with meals to increase the efficiency of the metabolism of the supplement. Vitamin E is a good example of a fat-soluble vitamin.

Lastly, some supplements are specific to certain events or times in your life and are best taken at those times and for those reasons. For example, whey protein powder and amino acids, such as and glutamine, can help build muscle mass and are very effective when taken after a workout. Another example is the herb Echinacea, or the mineral zinc. Either of these are wonderful when used to help the common cold, but are best taken in higher doses right at the onset of a cold and are not as effective if the cold is already in full force.

If you supplement on a regular basis, do so smartly, and make sure you are planning and scheduling them at the right times and for the right reasons. Always make sure to ask your physician if you have questions or concerns.