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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. Hope this helps,
Danny Vierra |
Remember, I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe. But I can share what I do for myself or what my children do for themselves.
Consult your physician before using any of these remedies and watch him laugh, or better yet, the Master Physician "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Ps.103:3 | |
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The Mind/Body Connection
Part 3 |
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As we have seen in the last two issues of The Elijah Prophecy, there is an intimate connection between the mind and the body, and when one is affected the other sympathizes. I also pointed out that nine tenths of diseases that afflict us have their origin in the mind. Stress is also a major cause of disease, and to prove my point, last week I shared some stories on how stress caused my first-time asthma attack and the skin problems on my arms. This week I want to share another story with you and more evidence on the mind/body connection.
The last five years have been the hardest five years of my life. In December, 2004, I watched my mother die. After finishing my day's duties at BellaVita I would drive to my mom's house and stay the night by her side as she hung onto the last days of her life. She would ask me to read to her from the Bible and her favorite devotional My Life Today.
Imagine, as I watched my mother whom I loved with all my heart suffocating right before my eyes as her lungs failed, there was nothing I could do to ease her suffering other than administer the morphine drops provided by Hospice. At 15-years-old she was plagued with lung tuberculosis that forever compromised her health. Each night I would hold her hand tightly and one night she whispered in my ear with her failing voice: "Danny, go back to BellaVita and help the people there. They need you more than I do." What love, but that was the way she always was--to think of others more than herself.
It was a miracle how God sustained me during the ten days with very little sleep, but my sweet mother needed me. Three months after her death, my 100-year-old grandmother (my mom's mother) was hospitalized. She actually told me that she was going to die on March 5, her daughter's and my mother's birthday. Oh, the power of the will. I found my grandmother dead on the morning of March 6. Five months later, I watched my father die of a broken heart because he missed his wife of 56 years so much. My father would sit at the cemetery in his wheel chair by my mother's grave and cry: "Poor Rosie. I want to be with Rosie. I miss her so much." He couldn't shake the grief and it finally killed him. Once again, I saw the power of the mind and its affect on the body, even to the point of death.
"The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death. Disease is sometimes produced, and is often greatly aggravated, by the imagination. Many are lifelong invalids who might be well if they only thought so." Counsels on Health, p. 344.
My parents and my grandmother were gone in only eight months. Another enormous trial followed the death of my mother and father that pierced my heart even more. I will spare you the details, because it will only anger you as it angered me. Soon after this my wife of 22 years left me, the faith, and the Lord unexpectantly. I felt like a prize-fighter who was bleeding on the mat and at the count of nine my opponent kicked me in the face one more time, but this last blow seemed like a death blow. I knew God would not allow a trial to hit me more than I could bear (see 1 Corinthians 10:13), but I questioned if one had got by Him.
It was in the refiners fire that I found the peace that passeth understanding. Friends, when the waves of trials crashed upon me, I immediately ran to Jesus and jumped on His back and wrapped my arms around His neck. I told Him, "I am not letting go no matter where this ride takes me." I once read: "Adopt this as the rule of life, 'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:8, 6, 7.'" Ibid, p. 630.
Praise the Lord that with the deep trials also came deep spiritual insights. I realized God was the One holding me up and all things would be worked out for His good: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. As I hung on to Jesus and claimed His promises, I reached the point of praying, "Lord, please do not take this away yet, I like what I am becoming." I found wonderful blessings from the intense trials that I endured in Christ's strength. The devil may have caused the problems, but Christ who knows the end from the beginning allowed the trials through because He knew they would accomplish good things in me and others. I know this to be a fact because I had read the following statement in a book I love called Mount of Blessings: "The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. ... Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and 'all things' that are permitted 'work together for good to them that love God.' Romans 8:28. Mount of Blessing, p. 71.
G od then led me to John Regier and Biblical Concepts in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was booked for five years, but took my early morning phone calls. He taught me the blessings that come with forgiveness. I ordered his workbook and read it over and over. What was so powerful in the book is that it helps you clean yourself up. Forget looking at the other person--just look in the mirror first. In fact, Chapter 1 is "Identifying and Resolving Personal and Marital Problems." John believes there are ten key areas Satan uses to defeat believers. They are the following: bitterness, rebellion, pride, immorality, temporal values, generational sins, sinful habits, occult activities, hypocrisy, and negative thought patterns. I watched the DVD on bitterness 16 times. I would fall asleep, peacefully, listening to the soothing voice and wisom of John Regier. I learned from the book and the DVDs of John's presentations that I had bitterness in my heart against my father, because of his neglect; to my former wife, for many unspoken reasons; and to others, for the pain they had caused me in the past.
In The Body/Mind Connection Part 1 I told you that I prayed a prayer for 45 days that set me free from my bitterness, and that the key to my victory was forgiveness. God touched me with a divine forgiveness and I released the people who had hurt me and the bitterness has never come back. I had been holding on to anger and bitterness against at least ten other people, some dating back to my childhood. It felt so good to let it go, once and for all, and be delivered by God's love and grace.
The workbook gives three obstacles in defeating Satan: 1. Generational sins and hereditary weaknesses; 2. Strongholds--the evils we cannot overcome; 3. Blind Spots--the sins we can't see. As I read over the list of emotional pain words, I found many words that hurt when I read them. Emotional pain words like the following: abandoned, all my fault, always wrong, ashamed, betrayed, cheap, cut off, disappointed, disrespected, empty, failure, fear, hate myself, lied to, lonely, molested, rejected and so on. It is interesting how you can read a word and feel the pain. The victory over bitterness and anger is truly forgiveness.
On the next page of the workbook, was "Jesus Heals the Pain." John told me: "Danny, when the pain gets too bad, ask Jesus to speak peace to your heart where there is pain." How many times I prayed that prayer! It hurt so bad at times. I learned the steps to resolving bitterness against my spouse, my father and others for the first time! I wrote down the ways my spouse and others had hurt me in the past and the emotional pain I felt because of the hurt. Then I would pray the prayer: "Lord I choose to forgive _________ for ________ causing me to feel _________. I am willing to pay for the emotional pain and consequences that she has caused me. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to take back the ground I gave to the enemy through my bitterness and I yield that to Your control." For forty five days, morning and night, I prayed the prayer and my anger finally left! John advises that you pray the prayer for 30 days and it will be gone. Mine must have been rooted deep, for it took an extra 15 days before it vanished.
I want to share some spiritual information and Bible promises that have helped me maintain the victory. First, let me ask you if you have bitterness in your heart against someone or, perhaps, towards yourself? I believe by God's power and grace we can obey His commandments of love. Romans 13:20 says: "Love works no ill to His neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." John 15:11, 12 says: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you." Friend, did you get that? We must love others the way Christ loves us? How can you do that if you are angry at your brother? Besides this we must forgive others as Chirst has forgiven us.
Second, a lawyer asked Jesus: "Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40. Paul also said: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Galatians 5:14.
When I looked in the mirror I did not like the person I saw. In writing the Mind/Body Connection I learned that we must love ourselves or we cannot love our neighbors. Self-love is an important Biblical principle, for Jesus taught it. If we condemn, hate, or belittle ourselves, does this mean that we should treat our neighbors, spouses, and families just as negatively? Of course not! If you are putting yourself down in any way there is self-bitterness and you may develop an autoimmune disease because that is what your telling your body. "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7.
Also we must realize that some of the most precious lessons of life are learned through the crucible of suffering. "Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto to you." 1 Peter 4:12, 13. Fiery trials come from Satan, but God makes them the means of developing character in His children. Disease is one of the strongest motivations to begin exploring the deeper meanings of life. It often wakes one up to the redemptive plan of God.
The term for salvation, soteria and the verb form sozo, are used over 150 times to mean to save, cure, heal, preserve, rescue from danger, deliver, to save from peril, injury or suffering to make whole from physical death by healing, and from spiritual death by forgiving sin and its effects. Mark 6:56, Acts 4:9, James 5:15, 16.
Recognize and accept the concept of God's sustaining and transforming power. Bring bodily habits into conformity to his will by accepting by faith the evidence of His intervention. Open the windows of the soul heavenward by: 1) supplicating the throne of grace as Christ did; 2) centering the mind upon the spiritual course and bringing the actions and motives of the life into harmony. 3) studying God's Word, for through it the mind opens its channels to His mysterious power.
If you would like to obtain a copy of John Regier's workbook you can write me or call Modern Manna at 800.655.3228.
God Bless You,
Danny Vierra
Modern Manna
BellaVita Lifestyle Center |
BELLAVITA LIFESTYLE CENTER
November 29 - December 8
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 $500.00 for November/December.
Take a tour of BellaVita by clicking on the link below. BellaVita Lifestyle Center |
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Danny Vierra
October 17, 2009 Plymouth Sorrento SDA Church
2844 Ponkan Rd.
Apopka, Florida 32712
Info: 352-735-1524 |
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Modern Manna is a self-supporting ministry that specializes in health reform and the gospel of salvation.
We believe that God wants His peculiar people to be the healthiest people on earth as promised in Dueteronomy 7:14, 15: "Thou shalt be blessed above all people: ... And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases ... upon thee."
Modern Manna is solely funded by your tax-deductable offerings and donations. Please help this ministry make a difference in a dying world.
For your convenience, you can make a donation online at DONATIONS or send it to:
Modern Manna
519 S. Central Ave.
Lodi, California 95240.
Thank you and God bless you,
Danny Vierra | |
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