Best Time To Take Supplements

Think about it...When is the best time to consume supplements?

So, I have been recently trying to get better about taking my own supplements. If you have read previous blog posts you will know that I am a huge fan of eating a ketotic diet, where you get your energy from good fats instead of carbohydrates (sugar). When you do this you have to make sure you do it properly, otherwise you will not get the proper nutrients in your diet. Some people think its all fat and protein but they tend to forget about the greens, which should make up most of what you eat and is where most of your vitamins and minerals are going to come from.

To help with the transition to running my body off of ketones, I started taking a few supplements in order to make sure my nutrition was correct. I was mostly concerned with my potassium levels. When you rid your body of carbs (stored in body as glycogen) you tend to lose a lot of water weight and with that goes minerals. When carbs are stored in the body they hold more water than fat so you need to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.

Anyway, I started to take some potassium just to make sure to get enough in my diet. But, when should I take it? Now some supplements are different but you can go by this general rule. Take them with your first meal of the day. That is when you are most insulin sensitive. So, your body will be more open to take in nutrients at this point. This is also the best time to consume a nutrient dense meal in order for your body to get as much goodies as it can. Insulin acts like a key to the cell and is really efficient during that first meal of the day. So, take with your first meal, not coffee or water in the morning, even if you don't eat until lunch.

Exception: Just make sure to read the directions on the bottle to make sure they don't need to be taken on a empty stomach. The other is when taking a supplement for sleep benefits. Obviously those would need to be taken before bed.

Hope this information finds you well and hope it helps you to make better decisions about your diet.

Questions about your health or nutrition? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Lardi by calling 708-873-0069.