So the holiday starts…the shopping, the bombardment of commercials and music and now the craziness that overtakes people to do stupid things like pepper spray someone to get a crummy TV that is on sale. It is insanity at its all time high. I started to feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. Do I send out Christmas cards? Do I only send them to family or loved ones that are not close by? Do I make the fattening appetizer that everyone loves or do a healthier version so I can make something delicious that isn’t going to contribute to a heart attack? Do I give myself a heart attack while trying to accomplish all of this nonsense? Do I buy EVERYONE gifts or just the people I really like? Do I put myself in a financial ditch to buy small trinkets that will not be important by the time January arrives? Oh boy, the anxiety kicks in and I feel like I’m drowning in the mistletoe and Christmas lights with no life preserver in sight. As the panic started to take residence in my being I had a flash come across my mind like a mental forehead slap. Trying to prioritize all of these tasks made me analyze where to start. “What is the most important thing about the holiday season?” The answer became clear and simple. Spending time with friends and family, enjoying their company and trying to show how much they mean to me is really the reason I do all of those crazy things. So I started to shift my energy, deciding that using my resources to spend time with people is more important than spending money I don’t have to spend. That the gift of time, love and humor is the most precious gift of all. Anyone that feels the pain of losing a loved one feels the void of that loss especially at this time of year. If you had the opportunity to spend one more day with that person and make another beautiful memory you would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. So instead of busting a gut trying to DO, DO, DO, try instead to BE, BE, BE. BE with your friends and relatives in a space that cherishes these joyous moments. BE present to life as it is happening. BE a good listener to that person that needs it today whether it is a stranger or a loved one. BE fun to be around and lighten your load with laughter. The gift you give through your positive energy is really what your fellow human being wants. BE grateful for this thing called life and value ever moment. Oh and if are one of my friends and don’t receive a gift this year I still do REALLY like!

www.amazon.com/Body-By-Angie-ebook/dp/B00408AOMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1283459863&sr=1-1

RIVERSIDE, CA—If you’re overweight and unhealthy and want to do something about it, Angie Lustrick has some advice for you.

Ignore the ever-present ads for weight-loss surgery (it’s a lot riskier—and costlier—than they let on). Forget the quick-fix diet fads—the only weight you’ll lose will be from your wallet.

Instead, take a page—literally—out of Lustrick’s new book, “Body by Angie: Is Your Body Bankrupt? Learn to Invest in Your Health.”

In her book, Lustrick, president of Riverside-based personal training and nutrition center Angie’s World, explains why starvation diets, risky surgeries and unrealistic exercise regimens simply don’t work.

The truth is, getting and staying in shape isn’t easy.

It takes hard work, dedication and the right mindset. And support from expert trainers such as the staff at Angie’s World doesn’t hurt, either.

What’s really needed is a life-changing commitment to getting and staying healthy, says Lustrick, who understands firsthand the challenges of being overweight.

A decade ago, she was overweight, hypoglycemic and unhappy with the way she looked and felt. Like increasing numbers of Americans, her lack of fitness was affecting her overall health, and she had to do something about it.

Ten years later, Lustrick is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer. She has competed in marathons, triathlons, bodybuilding events and other sporting competitions. At 34, she’s in the best shape of her life—physically, mentally and emotionally. And she’s inspiring others to embark on the same life-changing journey she undertook.

Her message couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. A 2010 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 32.2 percent of adult men and 35.5 percent of adult women were obese. According to medical experts, obesity can lead to chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, certain cancers and arthritis.
No miracle diet or dangerously invasive surgery will help you lose the weight and keep it off, says Lustrick, who appeared at book signings in the Inland Empire in July— including an event scheduled at Barnes & Noble booksellers on July 24— where she dispensed advice and inspired people to set and pursue their own weight-loss goals.

As Lustrick says, eating sensibly and committing to long-term exercise goals will allow you to lose body fat and add muscle, increase your metabolism and stamina and improve your overall health.

A sensible—and increasingly affordable—approach to getting in shape is by working with a personal trainer. And “Body by Angie” tells you how to choose a trainer who will help design a safe and appropriate exercise routine, get maximum benefit from your workouts and keep you motivated to do even better.

Lustrick received her certified nutritionist degree from American Health Science University and earned a degree in Biology from the University of California, Riverside. She was diagnosed as pre-diabetic in her early college years, and knew she had to make a major lifestyle change. She entered a nationally sponsored transformation contest in 2000 and won first place out of 30,000 participants. She has since started Angie’s World, a Center of Excellence for the First Line Therapy® Program, a medically proven nutrition program.