I recently learnt something very valuable about my health and I want to share it so that others can benefit. Although I learned it through a specific health issue, what I learned applies to many other types of health problems.

I had been having problems with heart palpitations for over a year. I had been to the doctor and had reams of tests. I was told that it was 'nothing to worry about', it was not dangerous. And, of course, there was nothing they could do to help me. Even if I wasn't worrying that I would die, it was still very distracting and uncomfortable. I couldn't ignore the fact that my heart would beat unreasonably hard while I was trying to go to sleep and it would often beat unevenly leaving my feeling quite uncomfortable, weak and distracted.

Since the medical profession seemed unable to help me, I tried to help myself. The heart palpitations would come and go at different times so I investigated for myself what could be causing them. I kept records to try to find some correspondence between the symptoms and my diet, environment and emotional state. It was very difficult to find any pattern, but eventually I started to notice major changes related to the water I was drinking.

I bought myself a water filter and the symptoms improved somewhat. But I found that the symptoms were even less when I was drinking bottled water. I really hate to drink bottled water because I know it is so bad for the environment. I've seen the stinking delivery trucks that bring the bottled water to my neighbourhood, so even apart from the environmental expenses of production and packaging, I know that drinking bottled water is a damaging thing to do. But I did want to have a healthy beating heart.

Despite my evidence, my husband was not convinced that anything in the water could be causing my heart palpitations. He said that compared to all the different chemicals we take in with our food and air, the water is very clean and could not cause such a problem.

Rather than argue, we agreed to set up an experiment. We filled identical bottles with store bought and filtered water and he agreed to switch them at some point so that I would not know what kind of water I was drinking. After a couple of weeks, I noticed something different one day and I was pretty sure he had changed the water. Sure enough, that evening my heart started to beat fiercely like it had not done in weeks since I'd been drinking the bottled water. It continued like that for a few days before I finally mentioned it to my husband. I said, “I know you changed the water on Friday. My heart has been acting up ever since then.” He said, “No, I never changed the water. You're still drinking bottled water.”

That statement shocked me for a minute and then I realized something very, very useful.

Somehow I had been creating those irregular heart beats myself all along. I was in fact completely in control, although I couldn't explain how or why I would do that!

Since that day I've realized my personal responsibility for my health and my heart is cooperating. I still occasionally have heart palpitations but it is much rarer and less severe. When it happens I notice and take responsibility. I know it must be ME who's doing that, and I'm in control.