How can what I eat and what I do affect my blood flow?

The latest studies show how much more dynamic our bodies are than had previously been believed. For example, there are minute-to-minute changes in how much blood flow different parts of your body receive. What you eat and what you do can increase or decrease this blood flow very quickly, with powerful effects - for better and for worse.

A meal high in fat, sugar, and calories causes your arteries to constrict, so blood flow is reduced. So does chronic stress. So does nicotine in cigarettes. So do stimulants such as caffeine, cocaine, and amphetamines. So does a lack of exercise.

How do you feel after you’ve just finished a holiday feast? Sleepy, as if you want to take a nap. Why? Because your brain is receiving less blood flow and oxygen. So is your skin, so you look older. So is your heart, so you may have less stamina. So are your sexual organs, and this interferes with your sexual potency.

When you eat a healthier diet, quit smoking, exercise, meditate, and have more love in your life, your brain receives more blood and oxygen, so you think more clearly, have more energy, and need less sleep. Your face gets more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. Your heart gets more blood flow, so you have more stamina and can even begin to reverse heart disease. Your sexual organs receive more blood flow, so you may become more potent - the same way that drugs like Viagra work (without troubling side effects such as going blind). For many people, these are choices worth making - not just to live longer but also to live better.

Find out more about this book: The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer,...

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