Thanks for asking dLife.

Heart palpitations are a feeling that your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. They can be bothersome or even frightening. They usually aren't always serious or harmful, though, and often go away on their own.

Most of the time, fluttering is related to stress and anxiety or to consumption of stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. The fluttering in your chest may result from eating heavy meals that are high in fat or include foods that are deep fried.

In rare cases, palpitations can be a sign of a more serious heart condition. I am glad that you checked with your doctor. Seek immediate medical attention if along with the fluttering you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, or fainting.

I recommend that you keep a diary of all the foods eaten, amounts, the time of day, how you felt at the time, along with the details of the fluttering (intensity, duration). After a while, you might see a pattern developing. Perhaps there are certain foods and/or certain amounts of these foods that contribute to the flutter. The flutter may occur on a stressful day. Or, on a stress day when you ate a plateful of yummy French fries with blue cheese dressing. Detailed food records can provide some insight into what might be causing the flutter.

Learn more about heart palpitations!

Take care.