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Dear Friends:
Last week I wrote about my battle with celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance. One of the symptoms I struggled with was depression. Thank God that by simply eliminating four grains from my diet that my symptoms
disappeared, including the depression. At times the depression was so severe that I even had suicidal thoughts. I nearly checked myself into the local hospital because I felt so weak and depressed. There were times my friends accused me of having a dual or split personality.
This week I want to specifically address depression. Depression is a condition that affects your thoughts,
moods, feelings, behavior and physical health. Depression can cause pain for you and those around you.
There are two classic symptoms of depression: 1) a loss of interest in everyday activities that one usually enjoys, and 2) a depressed mood where one feels sad and hopeless, and may have frequent episodes of crying. I know these symptoms well, for I would have many days where I would fight to hold back the tears. It took me years to learn it was, in fact, an allergic reaction to my eating gluten.
Another time I became very depressed was when I went through divorce after 22 years of marriage. I will never forget the awful scene when I watched my five children moan with pain when my ex-wife told them the news. This scene and the loss of the marriage threw me into a period of deep depression.
Depression can cause sleep problems, impaired concentration and memory, weight changes, restlessness or agitation, fatigue, low self esteem, decreased sex drive, persistent thoughts of suicide or death. One may also experience anxiety with the depression. In addition, a variety of physical problems and symptoms may be experienced like: headache, backache, and especially digestive problems like constipation and poor bowel function.
Another problem is antidepressant medications can cause depression and increased thoughts of suicide, according to the FDA. Besides the drugs are toxic to the liver.
Depression is twice as common is women and is the leading cause of disability with women. I have met a number of women that suffered from depression and hormone imbalance was the issue. Once the hormones were balanced the depression was gone.
Before I tell you how I overcame depression, I want to first talk to you about drug medications.
Many depressed individuals take selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). Some of the more common ones are Citalopram (Celexa), Flouxetine tablets (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), and Sertraline (Zoloft). These drugs block the reuptake of serotonin so that it remains active in the brain longer. The neurotransmitter Serotonin gives one the sensation of well-being. The drugs are designed to improve depression, but carry a list of many side-effects like nausea, diarrhea, agitation, insomnia, decreased sexual desire, and tremors.
There are natural alternatives available that are used by many people today that want to avoid the side-effects of drug medications. You may have read the negative stories and tragedies about the suicidal effects of Prozac that are well documented. Instead, 5-HTP, St. John's Wort, L-Tryptophan (amino acid), and SAMe, are four of the most common natural alternatives that increase the levels of the neurotransmitter seratonin. It is important not to combine these products with antidepressant drugs. If you are taking one of the drugs listed above, you should consult a professional and gradually decrease the drug when starting a natural alternative. Always get professional advice first.
Other side-effects of Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) like Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and Venlafaxine (Effexor) have potential side-effects like abdominal pain, itching, rash, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, drowsiness, headache, loss of weight, loss of sexual desire, weakness, and increased sweating and flushing.
Then there are the Tricyclic antidepressants and the MAOIs that work by increasing the levels of norepinephrine
in the brain, but come with long lists of side-effects. I remember Charlotte Gerson said: "All drugs have side-effects and all are liver toxic bar none." My point is this: if there are natural ways to treat depression and alleviate the symptoms, why not try an alternative approach first before risking addiction to a drug?
One should try to ascertain the cause of the depression, if at all possible, and work to eliminate it. Some of the possible causes of depression are: medical conditions such as hormone imbalance, improper lifestyle habits especially poor diet and lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, personality, traumatic event/s such as losing a loved one, alcohol or drug abuse, association with negative people and watching the news, nutritional deficiencies, stress, and side effects from medications.
I agree, depression can be a life-threatening disorder and require medical supervision, but first consider
changing your life. A good place to start is with diet and lifestyle habits. One of the most important dietary
considerations to prevent or improve depression is the balance of fats. Not many people know this. The diet in our
country is loaded with saturated fat from animal products like red meat and dairy products and omega-6 fatty acids
found in vegetable cooking oils such as corn and soy oil. The brain is primarily composed of fatty acids and requires a constant dietary supply of omega-3 fatty acids as found in flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. That is one of the reasons why I recommend taking flaxseed oil on a daily basis.
Flaxseed oil contains 84% omega-3's, and is also beneficial for the cardiovascular system. It can lower cholesterol and increase HDL levels. The omega-3's are also beneficial for mood balance. Omega 3's can
also be obtained from almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, as well as flaxseeds. Fish is a popular source, like salmon, but I prefer the vegetable source from flaxseeds.
My number-one depression fighter is EXERCISE. I notice that if I miss exercising for a few days I start to feel
depressed. It is like a catch-22 because then I have little motivation to exercise. The Mayo Clinic published a study that was very informative: "Exercise has long been touted as a way to maintain physical fitness and help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. A growing volume of research shows that exercise can also help improve symptoms of certain mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Exercise may also help prevent a relapse after treatment for depression or anxiety.
"Research suggests that it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of activity - as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time - can improve mood in the short term. 'Small bouts of exercise may be a great way to get started if it's initially too hard to do more,' Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.
"Evidence suggests that exercise raises the levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise may also boost feel-good endorphins, release muscle tension, help you sleep better, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also increases body temperature, which may have calming effects. All of these changes in your mind and body can improve such symptoms as sadness, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger,
self-doubt and hopelessness."
I now want to share my personal victory over depression and what I specifically did to alleviate the symptoms. First, I learned I had gluten intolerance and eliminated wheat, rye, oats, and barley from my diet. Soy also bothers me like wheat, and causes me a number of bad effects, one being depression.
Second, I treated my candida albicans that can cause symptoms much like that of gluten intolerance by taking an antifungal like CANDEX. I have seen this product eliminate the symptoms of candida in days when simultaneously
following a strict diet avoiding all fruit (except green apples, lemon, limes, or unsweetened cranberries--all low in sugar) and any sugars for a week or two.
Third, I forced myself to exercise when I wanted to stay in bed all day and cover my head with a pillow. I forced myself to go to the gym and play racquetball and lift weights twice a day, morning and evening. I believe this saved me. It was hard at times to go, but I would think of the positive results I would experience when I would finish working out. The social interaction and the exercise were a perfect combination.
Fourth, I found information on three amino acids--L-Theanine, L-Taurine, and GABA and started taking a product containing them called Theanine-Serene that worked like a miracle for anxiety and depression. Right before the divorce, I lost both parents, 8 months apart. I learned of the power of GABA and the other amino acids for the brain. The product cut my anxiety and depression by 80%, until it virtually left completely.
GABA is also a neurotransmitter that gets depleted from the brain due to of excessive GRIEF!! A depletion of GABA, in turn, causes anxiety, and you hopelessly try to cope. Drugs never cure the problem, but only mask the symptoms.
On the other hand, when you replenish the GABA the symptoms subside rather rapidly. It is kind of like withdrawing money from the bank, but never making a deposit. You become bankrupt of GABA with resulting anxiety. Taking the Theanine Serene with GABA helped me so much that I even discontinued the supplement once my reserves were built back up. L-Theanine, is also in green tea and other foods. This amino acid is a precursor to GABA. Theanine Serene also contains Relora, a calming herb that improves your well being, and magnesium which is a natural relaxant and calms the nerves.
Information from the San Francisco Medical Research Foundation says: "Anxiety and depression may be the result of shortages of key brain chemicals that can be restored naturally. Give the brain the amino acids it needs and feel your mind start to glow again.
"'If you're one of the millions who suffer from anxiety or depression, the next time you reach for the Valium or Prozac, consider amino acids as an alternative instead. these protein building blocks may be the key to reversing
long-standing anxiety and depression,'" according to Harold Whitcomb, M.D., and biochemical nutritionist Phyllis Bronson. They regularly prescribe amino acids for their clients at the Aspen (Colorado) Clinic for Preventive and
Environmental Medicine.
Mood, behavior, and brain biochemistry are intricately linked. Depression and anxiety may be the result of
flawed message-sending in the biochemical brain, flawed because key brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are in short supply.
"They're short because the body's amino acid pool (from which they're made) is itself low. For example, deficiencies in the amino acid GABA are strongly correlated with states of anxiety. Add to this the negative effect of high levels of heavy metals commonly found in the body. Aluminum, mercury, lead, and copper can make the body toxic, interfere with brain function, and contribute to depression and anxiety," say Whitcomb and Bronson.
"Shore up the amino acid pool with the deficient or missing elements and flush the toxic metals out of the body and you start seeing dramatic improvements in both depression and anxiety," report Whitcomb and Bronson. "By using supplements of the amino acids that make up specific neurotransmitters, you can actually change the nature and intensity of the brain messages they carry and thus the emotions they affect."
I have seen people with chronic depression improve at BellaVita in a few days when following the program. I believe there are multiple reasons for this:
1) Detoxification of drug residues, heavy metals, parasites, and old fecal waste that
poison the blood are removed.
2) Exercise, fresh air, and sunshine help fight depression. Sunshine is a natural remedy that does much to fight depression and the "winter blues."
3) A super nutrition program with lots of fresh organic live foods and juices.
4) All animal and dairy products are eliminated and only live produce is served.
5) Fasting for five days on only fresh juices, while
detoxifying all the elimination organs with wildcrafted and organic herbs.
6) Coffee enemas to detoxify the liver in minutes and help rid the liver of drug residues.
7) Daily prayer and Bible study. The Word of God is a healer, and Jesus is the True Physician.
8) Positive
mental attitude, love, encouragement,
and forgiveness are emphasized.
9) Saunas and ozone jacuzzis. Elimination of toxins through the skin via saunas and skin brushing and oxygenation of the tissues with ozone.
10) Herbal alternative like Nerve Formula and Serenity Formula that contain natural Serotonin increasers and calming herbs. And much more.
I believe the
miracles happen when you practice all of these natural remedies at once. Your body and brain rebalance. I have seen this happen many, many times. Guests who come in tears, walk out after only ten days joyful and happy to be alive.
The natural alternative formulas that I personally keep close to me are:
1) a Natural B-Complex with herbs called Unstress. It is made from whole food concentrates so the absorption factor and bioavailability is much higher than a
synthetic supplement. I keep a bottle at home, at work, and in my car. It works fast, and a deficiency of B-complex can set off a whole host of symptoms, with depression being one. So many women have thanked me for this product and use it on a daily basis.
2) I also keep on hand Nerve Formula. This is an herbal formula that contains valarian. It is a muscle relaxant and and works in minutes. Nerve Formula takes that edge off fast. I call it my natural valium. It is absolutely wonderful and the perfect remedy when you are slammed by a stressful situation and need an immediate fix.
3) Serenity Formula is a herbal product that increases seratonin levels. It contains St. John's Wort. Many peple have substituted their Prozac with St. John's Wort with good results. This product works very quickly and effectively. Consult your physician first.
4) Theanine Serene which I mentioned earlier contains the amino acids to nourish the brain. It is great for anxiety and fights depression fast!
I hope this article has been a blessing for you, because I know, too well, the symptoms of depression and anxiety. You can see how important it is to eat a nutritious diet that includes the essential amino and fatty acids, and a right balance of each. Refined and processed food lack these key nutrients and, in time, will light the fuse to a whole list of symptoms including imbalances in the brain that cause depression and anxiety.
Please continue to pray for that perfect peace that comes from Jesus and the soothing balm from the Holy Spirit.
God bless you,
Danny |
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We do not diagnose, prescribe, or claim to cure any disease. Only God does. We are an education facility only.
Please make sure to see your physician first, or better yet, the Master Physician "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Psalms:103:3.
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THE SECRET RAPTURE #2
Greetings!
This week I want to continue our study on the doctrine of the secret rapture, because so many Christians still believe that one day in the future the righteous will secretly and suddenly, and without any warning, be snatched off the face of the earth while the wicked live on for another seven years through the Great Tribulation. What is so dangerous about this doctrine? It is the belief that the ones who are left behind after the "rapture" will have a second chance to get their lives right and be saved in the end at the second coming of Christ. Another dangerous aspect of this doctrine is that gets your eyes off who the Antichrist really is!
Let us now begin by studying the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ. This is the only time the righteous will be saved and taken off the earth. There is no secret rapture that precedes this climatic event, which is, by the way, neither secret or silent. The doctrine of the Second Coming is easily supported by Scripture and one of the most beautiful and simple-to-comprehend truths in all the Bible. The Bible says: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain [the righteous saved] shall be caught up together with them [the resurrected righteous dead] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).
Please notice in the Scripture above that the saved in Christ will meet the Lord "in the air" with the resurrected saints, while the wicked dead who are destroyed at Christ's coming are food for the fowls to feed on. (Matt. 17:37). The great day of the Lord's coming will be the day of deliverance for the righteous, and, simultaneously, it will be the day of destruction and death for the wicked (see 2 Thess. 2:8).
The apostle John, while under inspiration, wrote the following in regards to the second coming of Christ: "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him [of both the righteous and the wicked]." (Rev. 1:7). Jesus, speaking of His own coming, says that the unrighteous will greatly "mourn" on that day: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn [because they are lost], and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:30, 31). Please notice that "His angels" are the means by which the saved are "caught up together" and "taken" to meet the Lord in the air" to be with Him forever, while the others "mourn" because they are lost!
The rapture theorists, in another attempt to support their theory, say the "rapture" is a "mystery" that will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." They quote 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 to support their position. But, not only is the rapture doctrine a mystery, since it is not taught in the Word. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 clearly tell us the "mystery," that takes place "in a moment" is the "change" from mortality to immortality--when we shall receive our glorified bodies: "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [the first death], but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound [the same trumpet blast referred to in Matthew 24:31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, which sounds at the second coming of Christ], and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality." Note when we put on immortality. It is only at the second coming of Christ and not before as taught by the secret rapture theorists!
It is preposterous to think that a "rapture" of the saved takes place prior to the coming of Christ, and that people will have the chance of being saved both times! But, in another effort to support their erroneous doctrine, they quote 1 Thess. 5:2: "The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them."
Friends, think of millions of Christians being snatched away while the rest of the world's inhabitants of the earth are totally unaware of what has taken place. A "thief in the the night" perfectly illustrates the second coming of Christ, for we "know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 25:13). Just as we do not know the time a burglar (a thief in the night) is going to strike, likewise we do not know the day or the hour of Christ's coming. Also, notice that "sudden destruction" is the fate of the wicked at this time, and perfectly agrees with 2 Thess. 2:8, that they will be destroyed by the "brightness of His coming."
As the picture further unfolds it becomes very apparent that the second coming of Christ is the most cataclysmic event ever to occur on a world-wide scale to a wide-awake human race. "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand." Rev. 6:14-17).
Jeremiah 25:30-33 further speaks of the state of the wicked at Christ coming: "The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation....A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations....Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground." In fact, Revelation 20:5 tells us: "But the rest of the [wicked] dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished," at which point, they suffer the second death! (See Rev. 20:13, 14).
If you recall, Jesus said in Luke 17:37 that the eagles or fowls will be gathered by the bodies or carcasses ( Matt. 24:28) of the wicked dead who are destroyed by the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. 2:8). It is interesting to note that John the Revelator agrees and corroborates the words of Jesus as he also saw, in vision, the "fowls that fly in the midst of heaven [birds of prey]" gathered "together unto the supper of the great God:" "And I saw an angel standing in the sun [like the rays of the sun, his message is worldwide]; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh [carcasses] of kings, and the flesh [carcasses] of captains, and the flesh [carcasses] of mighty men, and the flesh [carcasses] of horses, and them [carcasses] that sit on them, and the flesh [carcasses] of all men, both free and bond, both small and great....And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." (Rev. 19:17-21).
There you have it! Jesus prophesied in the Books of Matthew and Luke that the eagles would be gathered by the carcasses of the wicked dead when He comes the second time, and John states that he "saw" the fulfillment of this prophecy as recorded in the Book of Revelation. How awesome the Bible is when you compare Scripture with Scripture (Isa. 28:9, 10) and the true picture comes alive! Can these Scriptures possibly warrant a belief that those left behind at the taking of the saints will live on for another seven years? Yet, despite the gloomy picture presented by the second coming from the standpoint of the lost, it is rightly termed "the glorious appearing," for it is indeed the "blessed hope" for the saved. (See Titus 2:13).
So where did the so-called " secret rapture" theory originate? The foundation of the rapture theory was laid over 400 years ago upon the specific orders of the Catholic Church. Every Christian needs to understand how this fabrication of error was designed to neutralize the great Protestant Reformation. If the facts of history were know to Protestants today who defend with such great emotion the rapture theory and the futurist antichrist doctrine, they would be horrified.
Luther and his fellow reformers boldly identified the pope as the "man of sin," and labeled the Catholic Church and the papacy as the antichrist of prophecy. In response to those charges, the hierarchy assigned two Jesuit priests to develop counter-interpretations which would turn the blame away from the Catholic Church. Not only did they blunt Luther's assessment of the papacy as the antichrist, but they cleverly divided and diluted the protest of all the churches which grew out of the Reformation movement.
Now let's take a look at these two Spanish priests who flooded the sixteenth century with their counter-reformation propaganda. Alcazar of Seville applied all the beast prophecies to Antiochus Epiphanes, who lived long before the popes began to rule in Rome. His system of interpretation came to be known as the Preterist School of prophecy. On the other hand, Jesuit Francisco Ribera invented a system know as the Future School of interpretation. He taught that the antichrist was to become a future superman who would appear near the end of time and continue in power for three and a half years. That he would suffer a deadly wound and be miraculously healed. Today millions of Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc. hold this concoction of the Jesuits as some kind of infallible doctrine.
In the early 1800s the futuristic view of the Jesuit Ribera passed through certain refinements and additions, including the seven-year tribulation and the snatching away of the saints--the secret rapture theory. Through the influence and writings of John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Church of England, the new doctrine spread to the United States. During the middle and latter nineteenth century, it received its biggest boost from Cyrus Scofield, who incorporated it into his notes of his Scofield Reference Bible published in 1909.
In other words, Alcazar and Ribera assigned the task of neutralizing the Protestant reformation's charge that the papal system was the Antichrist. Please notice that the acceptance of the teaching of either one of these two Jesuit priests leaves the Romish church blameless of the Antichrist stigma. But it is Ribera's futuristic concept that is the basis of the rapture teaching and is the most commonly believed of the two theories developed. In fact, Satan has used this untruth so successfully that almost the entire Protestant world has not only abandoned the Protestant Reformation belief that the papacy is the ANTICHRIST, but he also has led them, and the world in general, to accept the notion that the pope is "the moral leader of the world"! Revelation 13:3 says: "And all the world wondered after the beast."
Friends, I pray from this study that you will prepare your hearts and minds during this tarrying time. Soon the door of probation will be closed and Jesus will come in the clouds of glory. There will be no second chance, no secret snatching away of the saints, no seven year period to follow. NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR ETERNITY!
"Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God--candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour." 5T 216. |
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"L ittle by little Satan has "prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time.... Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion...."
"As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light....Through the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits profess faith in the Bible and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power." (The Great Controversy, E. G. White, 1884, pp. 561, 562, 588)
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I am convicted to give these books away in English or Spanish ABSOLUTELY FREE - up to 25 booklets. All we ask is that you distribute them to other. If you can help with shipping we would appreciate it, but I will send them free and pay the shipping too. I know God will provide. Simply call us at 1-800-655-3228 or email me your request at starbooks@modernmanna.org. |
BELLAVITA LIFESTYLE CENTER
March 22 - 31
Call 1-800-655-3228
Join Danny Vierra for the next therapeutic cleansing program at beautiful BellaVita. The unique 10-day session includes instruction in the 8 Laws of Health and Health Disciple Training Program. Price has been discounted for March.
Take a tour of BellaVita by clicking on the link below. BellaVita Lifestyle Center |
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I would greatly appreciate your prayers. Time is short and Jesus will be coming soon. The signs are all around us.
You can now make donations online at www.modernmanna.org, or just drop me a note at danny@modernmanna.org or call 1-800-655-3228. Perhaps we can encourage one another.
God bless you,
Danny Vierra
Modern Manna | |
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