Thoughts On Palpitations

When helping people fast on water only for two or more weeks at a time, it's relatively common to run into palpitations.

Often times, such palpitations go away once electrolyte-rich foods are introduced during the re-feeding process - half watermelon and half celery juice is the formula that I rely on most for this purpose (an infinitely healthier and more effective electrolyte-replacement drink than Gatorade or anything else you'll find in a pre-packaged bottle).

Where palpitations continue even after electrolytes have been replenished, once common arrhythmias and cardiovascular disease have been ruled out via an EKG, I have often had success using an old school cold water trick that I learned from a mentor in the late 90's.

The trick is this: dunk your head in the coldest water that you have access to for 10 to 15 seconds. If you can't tolerate this amount of time, then even a few seconds can sometimes jolt the electrical activity of your heart back to normal.

Variations of this method include dunking just your face for 30 seconds, or your hands for a full minute.

Sudden exposure to cold water almost immediately affects the output of your autonomic nervous system, which can restore proper nerve signalling and conduction throughout your heart.

This isn't to suggest that you self-treat palpitations and arrhythmias; if you have any concerns about the regularity of your heart, you should consult with your family physician and then possibly a cardiologist.

Sometimes, palpitations come about because of malnourishment, over-exposure to stimulants, or serious anxiety. In these and all other cases, it's best to identify and address the root cause(s), but the cold water trick described here can often provide harmless temporary and sometimes lasting relief.

Hope this tip comes in handy to loved ones some day.