There probably isn't one of us who couldn't repeat the mantra "Drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day. We know our bodies are primarily composed of water and that proper hydration is absolutely essential to cell function. We know that not drinking enough water can cause symptoms ranging from fatigue to kidney stones. Why is it, then, that roughly 3/4 of the population are chronically dehydrated?
We humans are funny creatures. We can have a wealth of knowledge right in front of us and completely disregard how it relates to us, as individuals. I have been guilty of this on numerous occasions but it has taken me far too long to realize how dangerous it can be to ignore your body's basic requirements.
I'm not real sure why... it's probably just the way I'm wired, but I've always been rather oblivious to my body's signals for thirst and hunger. I would realize, halfway through the day, that I still hadnt eaten. I would go most of a workday without drinking anything other than coffee. I found out the hard way that when you ignore your body's signals, it will signal harder.
I was sitting in absolute silence, feeling the most bizarre sensation in my chest, trying to decide what level of concern I should have. I was hovering somewhere between WTF and OMG I'm dying as I felt the once-steady beating of my heart turn to an erratic rhythm, much more similar to that of a motor, choking out moments before it dies...in sets panic! Motor...heart...wait...Oh shit!
In the ER, I learned that my "motor" wasn't about to "die" and that I was, in fact, having an arrhythmia called PVC but I wasn't given much more than that. Just the standard "follow up with your doctor" advice.
I'm not afraid of taking medicine but, in my experience, Doctors tend to medicate symptoms away so I deciced to use reduction and elimination to see if I could find the root cause and correct the problem. Obviously, I am not advising anyone to not seek medical attention if they feel something might be amiss with their heart...I am still surprised though, that not one medical professional even mentioned that I could have unwittingly caused it and (more importantly) that I could correct it.
I eliminated common triggers, to no avail, but when I got to hydration , I was beyond shocked to realize that keeping my water intake above a certain amount (for me, 72oz minimum per day), made my symptoms completely disappear.
So let's look at this. I'm a rather intelligent adult and I caused my heart to malfunction because I forgot to drink enough water??
Well, yes...Because it was chronic ...Too little too often for too long.
I know now, how much we can impact our own health by ignoring the basics and before you dismiss this as something that doesn't apply, remember what I said in the beginning. Roughly 75% of the population remains chronically dehydrated. It's worth it to check out this quick and intriguing video to further understand the energy/health/hydration balance and do a quick "check and balance" of your personal habits.
- Watch this short TedTalk titled "Water, Cells and Life" by water scientist and biomedical engineer Gerald Pollack.
- Being objective and honest, assess how hydrated you really are. Many people live in a state of chronic dehydration, completely unaware or unable to connect that fact with their symptoms because they've become so used to feeling "blah"
- Take note in how you are feeling physically and mentally. Are you tired, sluggish and stuck to the couch? Completely out of energy? Lacking the desire to do even basic tasks? Do you feel "low", depressed or just in a funk with no specific reason for feeling that way?
- Make a conscious decision to spend the next 48 hours drinking an ample supply of fresh water. For myself, I have found that to be filling my 24 ounce travel cup three times. You may require more or less but the goal is to drink enough water that you don't feel thirsty and your urine is very light yellow to almost clear with little to no odor.
- Now, reassess number 3. Do you notice any changes in your mood or energy level? For me, I was notably less tired and lethargic and a little more clear-headed...as if the fogginess had just lifted away.