The Hemp Connection:
Craig Ramsay

If you follow our radio show, you know we recently interviewed Stacy Citron, participant in Bravo's television show, Thintervention.

In the process of working with Stacy, I had the opportunity to become acquainted with Craig Ramsay, one of the trainers she worked with on the show. We sat down recently in Los Angeles and chatted about Stacy's PCOS, and PCOS in general. I left our brief meeting realizing PCOS had a genuine and enthusiastic ally in Craig, and we've become friends in past months.

I'll be interviewing Craig on Monday, November 15, at noon Eastern time. Please join us live or download the recorded version later at www.blogtalkradio.com/incystforhormones

In the meantime, I asked Craig to answer a few questions to help our audience get acquainted with him.

I'm so looking forward to Monday!

1. What did you know about PCOS before you began your work with Stacy?

My only knowledge of PCOS prior to working with Stacy on Thintervention was from my Broadway co-worker/friend Haviland Stillwell. Her journey with it was private. (My note: Haviland has since spoken publicly about her PCOS; her interview is in our show's archives.) All I knew of the disease was that it affects a woman's hormone levels and fertility.

2. As a trainer, what was the most challenging aspect of working with someone with PCOS?

As a trainer working on a time crunch of a fitness show, and the added responsibilities of 7 other clients, I found working with someone with PCOS was very time consuming. Not because that person is difficult, but because I had to take a great deal of time to learn about the condition for myself. Stacy knew little of the disease, so tackling it together was the hardest part, as well as getting our questions answered.
3. You have expressed a strong interest in reaching out to women with PCOS. What is it about the syndrome that has inspired you?

My mother has Fibromyalgia. I have a sensitivity to her, and other women, who struggle with such health obstacles that get in their way of feeling and looking their best. Like Fibromyalgia, PCOS sufferers have a difficult time getting answers and respect from Doctors. It frustrates me that the medical field hasn't spent more time discovering answers to their vital questions.

I have experience working with many women that have gained control of their PCOS, and with great success!

I'm thrilled to share my experiences to help others.
4. Have you developed any different strategies for working with future PCOS clients?

I advise my PCOS women to start with their diet. Get control over their sugar levels, introduce a high protein diet, and make sure they are eating the proper foods and eating at the proper times. This will improve their energy levels, sleep and therefore their ability to properly workout to intensity.

This is the place I start with all my PSOC women.
5. Do you have any words of encouragement for frustrated women watching your series who can relate to Stacy's journey?

Frustrated women watching at home please know that you are not alone. What used to work for you"back in the day" will not work anymore. The answers are out there, don't compare yourself with others, make it your own journey.

We're so excited about this! Not just that we have a fundraiser, but that our very first one involves two of our very favorite friends at inCYST, Craig Ramsay and Sandie West.

"Move" with trainer Craig Ramsay, a wonderfully compassionate women's health advocate who we met when he worked with Cyster Stacy Citron on Bravo's reality show Thintervention. He talks mostly about getting you into physical shape, but what we routinely hear from his clients is that his work helps to nurture their self-esteem into good condition as well. He is graciously offering his time to conduct four boot camps on the beach near Sandie's spa, which is where the"Move" part comes in. It's the perfect way to test drive Craig's popular boot camps if you've been thinking about participating but haven't gotten around to it.

Be sure to check out Craig's website and Facebook page to learn more about his"Ultimate Perfect Workout System". And look for him on Twitter at @craigramsay1.

"Soothing" Sandie West has a beautiful facility, Creative Chakra Spa, on the Pacific Coast, just south of the Venice Pier. She's known far and wide for her beautiful space, therapeutic spa treatments, loving spirit, and calming energy. You can't help but put your cares aside and focus on relaxation when you're at Sandie's place! It's perfect for someone who's feeling a little over the top with their diagnosis and in need of little R and R.

To learn more about Sandie's spa and the services and classes she offers, join her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter, @creativechakra.

Check out this video one of Sandie's beach yoga classes. Even the robot that programs our Twitter paper was enthralled…it kept including this video of her beachfront yoga class for several days after she Tweeted it!

These events would not be possible without our wonderful sponsors! Please check out their websites, Facebook fan pages, and follow them on Twitter. They are sponsoring because they are excited to support your journey to PCOS health, and we want to support them in return.

What would our first fundraiser be without one of inCYST's BFF's? The Zing Bars folks don't just support PCOS, they created their products with women with PCOS in mind. Years of combined counseling experience gave them first-hand knowledge about what kind of ingredients, flavors and packaging would be easiest to use and benefit from.

Be sure to"like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at @zingbars.

Growing Naturals is a brand of organic brown rice protein that is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, kosher, non-GMO, organic, and raw diet-compatible. It's a great option for anyone with PCOS, and especially so for anyone who is vegan and/or with food intolerances that make it hard to get enough protein.

When I first learned of them, I thought to myself…"That pretty much touches all bases…finally, I know what to recommend for even the most restrictive of situations." Turns out, their tag line is"Finally, Food For All People".

Be sure to check out their website and learn more about their original, chocolate, and vanilla rice protein isolate powders.

You can find Growing Naturals on Facebook, and their Twitter handle is @growingnaturals.

If you'd like to participate in person, please RSVP either here in the comments section, or on our Facebook event page with at least a"maybe" so we can send you the registrations later this week.

If you can't make it but you'd like to support this fundraiser, here's a link where you can donate. You'll be supporting research projects directly supportive of hormone disorders including PCOS, infertility, thyroid, and diabetes.

We are working out the details and will have complete registration options available at this link. Space is limited for each of the options so if this is something you're interested in doing, please grab your space as soon as possible.

Please, if you can't participate in our specific event but you're interested in the boot camps and/or the spas, check out Craig's and Sandie's websites for more information about their programs.

We'll have a website up and running soon with event details. Please be sure to join the RSVP list on our Facebook event page so we know where to find you when updates occur.

If you would like to donate but cannot make it to the live event, please click here for more information.