To create schedule that serves you best, do right away, because once life kicks into high gear again, it will be more difficult to shift gears and shuffle priorities again.

What to include on your schedule: time to eat at table, to unwind, to do an exercise you really love. You might try getting up a half hour early (if you’re a morning person) or staying up a half hour later, to sit in quiet of your home. Have your mate with you, your pet, or your favorite book. The point is to turn off noise, and turn on a moment of sanity.

What to exclude from your schedule: unneeded activities, excess car time, stressful people. You can’t be all things to all people and, while you’re trimming down your weight, it’s really okay to cut back on your harried time commitments as well. You’ll be more effective if you focus on just a few things at a time. Walk away from stressful people, who just contribute to angst of those around them. You need peace in your life.

These tips are great starters for not only surviving September, but for living a thin and healthy life throughout year.

* Phenytoin is a drug used for seizures. Herbal interactions to be aware of include ginkgo biloba, white willow, lemon balm, skull cap, kava kava, and valerian root, to name a few. It is also important to know that Folate supplementation is necessary with Phenytoin, but excess Folate can be harmful.

* It’s important to take calcium supplements and vitamin D two hours apart from taking either Phenytoin or Digoxin in order to not interfere with these drug’s effects.

Of particular concern are interactions with herb St. John’s Wort, which is taken by 7.5 million Americans as a depression remedy. This herb can cause serious consequences when taken with drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil, as well as warfarin, cyclosporine, and oral contraceptives. This herb may also interact with Digoxin, chemotherapy drugs, and other drugs, causing treatment failure. Some of these interactions are serious enough that if St. John’s Wort were a drug, government would restrict marketing, make it a prescription-only item, or require label warnings.

So, what can one do??

Anyone taking a dietary supplement should first do their homework. Know exactly what purpose of a particular supplement is for and learn all known interactions. There are many excellent informational websites on internet. A good rule of thumb is to look for a site that does not offer products for sale!

It’s also important to inform your healthcare professional what supplements you are taking, in order to avoid potential supplement-drug interactions that could put you at medical risk. Although many credible professionals sell products, there are just as many who sell products but don’t really understand physiology of human body and are just out to make money. Supplement sales is a very popular ‘easy’ way to make money today!

It’s just as important to do one’s homework when looking for a complementary care practitioner. Although this is only one set of criteria, best recommendation is to look for one or any of these: A pharmacist or registered dietitian who is educated in medicinal herbs, a physician who specializes in functional medicine, or an MD, OD, ND, DC, PharmD or RD who also has CCN credential.

Don’t be afraid to take supplements. They serve a very beneficial purpose. But do know why you’re taking each supplement, just as you should know why you take any prescription medications. Be an informed consumer and take responsibility for your health and wellbeing.