Our Bodies Need Water... Why Do I Keep Forgetting?
Recent days have reminded me of the importance of staying hydrated. I don't know why, but I got lazy about drinking water for the first time in years. Then, I started having heart palpitations. I went to the doctor yesterday for a prescription refill -- that's how he makes his money, I think -- and, while I was there, I thought it would be irresponsible not to mention the heart palpitations although they have only happened a couple of times.
The doctor spoke for a long time about many things, most of which were completely irrelevant. I often think he might be lonely. Since I don't pay him by the hour (or at all -- thank you, Canadian health care system), I usually let him vent. After he was finished speaking, he requisitioned some blood tests and an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of my heart. Some of the blood tests were for electrolytes. Then it hit me. I am an idiot. I have not been drinking nearly enough water, and that is probably the issue. I will still get the tests just in case.
Can Dehydration Cause Heart Palpitations? Short Answer: Yes.
I looked up whether dehydration can, in fact, cause heart palpitations, and I found several sources which confirmed that it can indeed. These included the Harvard Health site, which I have generally found to be reliable.
I am normally very good at staying hydrated. It's a weird thing to be good at, but it's nice to have a strength. Many people don't realize how much illness you can stave off merely by staying hydrated. I have carried a LOT of excess weight most of my life. I don't recommend it, but I believe that one reason it has not led to serious health issues (knock on wood) is that I usually drink a lot of water.
Drink More Water if You Are "Traditionally Built"
Although most people know that the standard recommendation is to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day (2 - 2.5L), many people don't realize that large people need more! Also, obviously, you need more if you are in the hot sun or exercising. What people don't realize is that large people need one extra glass of water per day for every 25lbs over 150lbs. The 8 to 10 glasses thing is based on a "standard" human size of 150lbs.
This means those of us who are quite fat (or "traditionally built," as Alexander McCall Smith called it in "The Number One Ladies Detective Agency") need a lot more water. I suspect that many of the health problems typically associated with fatness are actually due to dehydration. I am not saying it is healthy to be fat, and, for most of us, it is not something easily overcome. However, if one is fat, and you notice I reclaim the term, I think that you can mitigate some of the detrimental health effects with proper hydration and gentle, regular exercise.
Foreshadowing: My Weight Journey
In the future I will write more about my weight journey. I have binge eating disorder, and it has caused me no end of troubles. Spoiler alert: Dieting is not the way. I will explain this more in future posts, but the issue is not one of will power. Unfortunately, repeated dieting destroys lean muscle mass and makes weight loss even more challenging. People don't realize this and the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry profits off our pain.
Last year, I lost 75lbs. It is only the beginning, but it was a pretty good start. I will discuss this more, but the way I lost it was kindness to myself. It was by finally implementing the many ideas I had read over the years about how to overcome binge eating disorder. At the same time, I started very gently exercising my body in a way that was non-violent. At my size, exercise done incorrectly can do more harm than good. I would like for my joints to last. I would not like to cause my heart so much stress that it explodes. This is why a kind, patient, gentle approach was (and still is) the way.
I want to discuss my the ways to overcome binge eating disorder in another post, as I mentioned, but, briefly, the theory is that you must eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. There should be no forbidden foods. There is more, which I will get into. However, these ideas, seemingly simple, can have a profound and revolutionary effect on your physical and emotional wellbeing. I keep reading about people losing weight through a concerted program of self-hatred and acts of violence towards themselves. They do not call it this, but that is what it is. I know from experience.
Conclusion
Aside from everything else, I must remember to drink plenty of water. There is probably no greater or easier kindness that you can regularly do for yourself, and I feel quite silly that I forgot something so fundamental. I am grateful that we have clean water in my community. That is not even the case all over Canada, and certainly not everywhere in the world, so I am very thankful.
One last thing: Don't wait until you are thirsty. By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already somewhat dehydrated, so please drink a little each hour as the day goes by. It's not the end of the world if you feel thirsty, but try not to allow it to happen regularly.
I hope, wherever you are, that you have plenty of clean water today and can stay well hydrated. It is one key to ongoing health.
