By Rachel Davies, Nutritional Therapist

When making changes to our diet and lifestyle, consistency is crucial. I often remind my clients: If you want change, you have to commit to it! Establishing consistent healthy habits is the foundation for long-term well-being.

The same principle applies to supplements—consistent intake is essential for achieving your desired results. Just as we wouldn't expect dramatic weight loss from eating a healthy salad once in a while, we can't be sporadic with our supplements and expect significant improvements in our well-being overnight.

Plus, if you are investing in quality supplements such as those produced by Extracted, you want to maximise the benefit that they offer by taking them consistently and correctly - more about that on our blog here about supplement timing. 

Why supplement consistency is key

• Certain nutrients take longer to have an effect in the body, namely the fat soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E & K), minerals, and probiotics. It can take longer to build up our stores of these nutrients and for them to take effect so ensuring consistent intake over the medium term is essential. For example, if your iron stores are low, it can take many months to replenish them through consistent dietary and supplement intake. 

• For the water soluble vitamins (B vitamins and Vitamin C) whilst they are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream, they are not stored for as long so need to be replenished regularly through diet and supplements where necessary. 

• Absorption rates of the nutrients in supplements will vary depending on your age, health, current nutrient status and digestive efficacy so it can take time to see improvements depending on what your health goals are. 

• Many of us are nutrient deficient due to the poor quality of the Western diet and the decline in nutrient density of our food over the last 50 years. In order to support your body to achieve optimal nutrient status, and therefore reduce the risk of chronic health conditions, being consistent with supplements alongside a balanced whole-food diet is vital. 

• Irregular supplement use can cause nutrient levels in the body to fluctuate, reducing the effectiveness of the supplements but also potentially leading to periods of deficiency or imbalance.

Ultimately, consistency in taking your supplements is what leads to lasting results!

How to be consistent with supplements

Now that we’ve established why supplement consistency is important, let’s look at how we can make it happen!

Just like any changes to our nutrition or lifestyle, it can take time to establish a new habit. Studies generally agree that it takes on average 66 days to implement a new habit and make it automatic, although this will of course vary from person to person. The reality is that in our extremely busy modern lives, unless we make change easy, it is often hard to be consistent.

My 5 top tips to achieve supplement consistency

1. Start Small. Don’t expect yourself to take on an elaborate supplement regime with varying timings and directions from scratch.  Be realistic. Start with one or two supplements and build up from there. In his brilliant book Tiny Habits, the behavioral scientist BJ Fogg talks about how making change small and manageable is the key to creating habits you can stick to.
2. Habit stacking. This is the process of building new habits on top of pre-existing ones. So, for example, if you need to remember to take your supplements first thing in the morning, ask yourself: what is the first thing you do every day? Perhaps you brush your teeth? Put your supplements next to your toothbrush. Or you make a cup of tea? Keep your supplements next to the kettle. By including this visual cue you are more likely to stick to your new habit.
3. Set yourself reminders. We have apps for everything these days so use technology to keep you on track with your supplement consistency too by setting reminders on your phone. Or even go old-school and stick a post-it note on the fridge!
4. Keep your supplements close. Having your supplements on you in a handy travel case will mean you can take them when you are out and about (Extracted gifts supplement travel cases to subscribers on their second month for this very reason!)
5. Understand your WHY. If we want to implement a new habit it is because we want to achieve a certain outcome. In health and wellbeing it may be that you want to have more energy or to sleep better. Ask yourself: why is this important? How will it impact you and those around you? For example, if you have more energy you can engage in more social activities or have more energy to play with your kids. If you sleep better you can perform better at work and show up more for your team. Framing your habits in the context of these broader goals helps you stay motivated. 

Supplements are not quick fixes - unfortunately there is no silver bullet to optimal health and wellbeing. But being consistent with a targeted supplement regime alongside a balanced diet, daily movement and stress management is the very best way to achieve your health goals. 

racheldaviesnutrition.com

This blog is written by Nutritionist Rachel Davies. Rachel is registered with the BANT (British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) and the CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council). She continually attends CPD training to further her expertise and keep abreast of the fast moving field of nutritional science.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.