Thriving Through Menopause: Dr Sharon Malone of Alloy Women’s Health On Wellness Tips for Women Over 45
An Interview With Shawna Robins
Find community. None of us navigate this journey well alone. Find a community of women, older and younger, that you can discuss the trials and tribulations of this thing we call life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and support if you need it. Remember, women with healthy social networks live healthier and longer.
Menopause is a significant transition in a woman’s life, often accompanied by various physical and emotional challenges. However, it is also an opportunity to embrace wellness and thrive. How can women over 45 navigate this phase with grace and vitality? As part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Dr. Sharon Malone.
Dr. Malone is a board certified Ob/Gyn with over thirty years experience in women’s health. She is the Chief Medical Advisor for Alloy Women’s Health and the author of NYT bestseller, Grown Woman Talk–Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your backstory?
I am the youngest of eight children born to parents who were born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Yes, you heard that right! My father was born in 1893, and my mother was born in 1914. Coming of age in the segregated South heavily influenced not only my worldview, but also my relationship with physicians and medical care.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to your particular career path?
My mother died when I was twelve years old. She died of colon cancer which we all know now, with early diagnosis, is curable. I knew even as a child that her interaction with doctors was less than optimal. I still remember the callousness of the doctor who announced in the middle of the surgical waiting room that her condition was incurable and that he had nothing else for her. I now know that her lack of knowledge of symptoms, access to quality healthcare and her fear and distrust of a medical system not designed with her in mind had as much to do with her demise as the cancer. It was this searing life experience that led me to medicine.
Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the menopause and women’s wellness fields? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
My authority in the field of menopause comes not just from my credentials (I am a certified national menopause practitioner) but from my experience. I have treated women in menopause for over thirty years. I practiced before, during and after the Women’s Health Initiative, and my philosophy about hormones and menopause has been refined but is essentially unchanged. My contribution to the field of wellness is this–I am a firm believer in preventative care. I counseled my patients on how to take care of themselves before they got sick. Healthy behaviors and lifestyles are always the cornerstone of wellness.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
“Do not let the perfect get in the way of the good.” So many of my patients try to assemble the dream team of doctors–the best internist, the best cardiologist, etc. which is great except when those doctors don’t work together. Finding doctors individually may not always be the best strategy. Start with a good internist or Ob/Gyn and let them help you assemble the team. Doctors within the same hospital system who routinely work together are more likely to communicate and will have access to your important medical records when they need them.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Let’s start with the basics. What lifestyle changes have you found to be most effective for women to thrive during menopause?
Regular exercise is always a good place to start. It relieves stress, helps with mood and preserves muscle mass and strength as you age. Getting a good night’s sleep is key. If hot flashes and night sweats are interrupting your sleep, for goodness sake, treat those hot flashes! Disrupted sleep is associated with hypertension, weight gain, cardiovascular disease, mood disorders and changes in the structure of the brain that may be important biomarkers for Alzheimer’s. There is nothing more effective for the treatment of hot flashes than hormone therapy. Limit alcohol consumption (less is more) and try to eliminate as many processed or ultra processed foods from your diet as possible.
Can you share any specific dietary recommendations that help alleviate common menopause symptoms?
All data seems to suggest that the Mediterranean Diet is the best for overall health. Fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (olive oil), a diet with less red meat and more fish, nuts and whole grains are the building blocks of a healthy diet. For more suggestions, I would recommend Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s book, The Galveston Diet.
How important is mental health during menopause, and what strategies can women use to maintain it?
Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression tend to increase dramatically in perimenopause. As I mentioned, exercise and a good night’s sleep are not only important for your physical health but for your mental health as well. Chronic fatigue and stress also worsen mood. If mood disturbances persist, treating menopausal symptoms first with hormone therapy is a good starting point. Mental health and physical health go hand in hand and should be treated as such. Poor physical health worsens mental health and vice versa.
What role does exercise play in managing menopause symptoms, and what types of exercise are most beneficial?
Exercise is important as an adjunct not as a primary therapy for menopausal symptoms. That said, the healthier and more fit you are, some women find their menopausal symptoms to be more manageable with regular exercise. Thirty minutes of exercise daily is a good place to start, and no, you don’t have to run marathons to get the health benefits. The best type of exercise is the type that you can and will do regularly. A nice brisk walk every day with a little strength training thrown in for good measure will do the trick.
Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share “5 Things You Need to Know to Thrive Through Menopause”? If you can, kindly share a story or example for each.
- Exercise. Try to get at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. You don’t need expensive trainers or fancy exercise equipment (unless you want to).
- Sleep. Try to get at least 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
- Eat a healthy diet and watch your weight. Maintain a healthy weight. It is not uncommon to gain 10–15 pounds during the menopause transition. Dieting is not the answer, but mindful eating is, and remember women with untreated hot flashes and sleep disturbances are more likely to gain weight. Hormone therapy does not necessarily make you lose weight, but it does minimize the other factors which make it difficult to control your weight.
- Limit alcohol. More than two drinks a day not only disrupts your sleep, but it also increases your risk for breast cancer.
- Find community. None of us navigate this journey well alone. Find a community of women, older and younger, that you can discuss the trials and tribulations of this thing we call life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and support if you need it. Remember, women with healthy social networks live healthier and longer.
Can you discuss any alternative therapies or natural remedies that have shown promise in supporting women through menopause?
Although there are a myriad of products out there that claim to treat menopause, the data is sparse to non-existent on their effectiveness. Testimonials are not data. Ask to see the science behind the claims.
Wonderful. We are nearly done. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
I would love to have lunch with Chaka Khan. She is one of my all time favorite artists, and after fifty years in the music industry, I bet she has some really interesting stories to tell.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
@smalonemd on Instagram and Facebook
drsharonmalone.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Shawna Robins is an international best-selling author of two books — Powerful Sleep — Rest Deeply, Repair Your Brain and Restore Your Life, and Irresistibly Healthy — Simple Strategies to Feel Vibrant, Alive, Healthy and Full of Energy Again. Shawna is the founder and CEO of Third Spark, an online wellness hub for women over 40 who want to reignite their sleep, reset healthier habits and respark their lives. Shawna is a sleep expert, hormone health expert, and a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC). She has been featured on many podcasts including Dr. Mindy Pelz’s “The Resetter Podcast” and in Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, and The Huffington Post. A free download of her latest book can be found at www.thirdsparkhealth.com/powerful-sleep/ You can follow her on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
