Both of my guests are committed to Women's Health and share stories of their journey and expertise. Dr. Sharon Malone is a nationally recognized OB/GYN and certified Menopause Practitioner, NY Times Best Selling Author and Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Women's Health. Also joining SHLTMM is Allison Kalsched, a strength and fitness expert and Co-Founder of "Not Your Mother's Menopause NJ," Allison Kalsched is joining us in conversation about women's health and the significance of staying fit . Dr. Malone shares stories of her mother, Bertha. A remarkable mother of eight who instilled in her children the significance of education, hard work, morality and good behavior. "She's always been my north star, in terms of having a very clear sense of what's write, what's wrong, how one should behave, all of that really comes from my mother," reflects Dr. Malone.
Dr. Sharon Malone's book is titled "Grown Woman Talk, Your Guide to Getting Healthy and Staying Healthy." This is a book isn't filled with stats, charts and graphs. It's a book about taking care of oneself and getting support from family, friends and doctors that take the time to recognize you, your symptoms and guide you in the correct direction until you get the answers that you need.
Bertha, Dr. Malone's mother, was born in 1914 in rural Alabama. Sadly Bertha died when Dr. Malone, her youngest daughter, was twelve. Out of necessity, Bertha and close relatives had to self diagnose any and all illnesses. There wasn't really any medical services nearby. It was all based on collective knowledge from family members and maybe a midwife who could help out. It was her family, a few things in a medicine cabinet, home remedies, etc that worked when one of her children was sick. "There was so much of an "ancestral collective of knowledge" that Bertha had access to, that we don't have today," reflects Malone.
My guest's mother, Bertha lost her mother when she was 14 and Bertha and her sixteen year old sister had three younger siblings to raise. It wasn't an easy childhood, but it didn't stop Bertha for instilling such a wealth knowledge in her own children. I highly recommend you read "Grown Woman Talk," to get the full impact of her mother's life and Dr. Malone's philosophies regarding health.
Dr. Malone explains, "medicine is not the answer for everything, but there is also a place and time for it. Don't run to the doctor every time there's a sniffle." "She'd like to see the pendulum come back to the middle," regarding the health field.
Bertha was a maid in officers quarters of the near by Military base because she had to work. Plus Bertha took care of the work around the house including the cooking, cleaning, etc.
Bertha was confident and calm but there are so many stories that Dr. Malone doesn't know about. In the early 20th century Bertha was very practical and conscientious especially when it came to diet, health and "necessities.
Dr. Malone lovingly shares stories of her mother, her work ethic and the moral grounding and how important it was. "I still hear her voice in my head. When I do things I either think of them as either this will make my mother proud or my mother would not be pleased with this particularly behavior."
Dr. Malone only had twelve formative years with her mother, but she says "I learned enough about character and what was and wasn't important in life in that short time. Don't ever doubt the the value and importance of mothers and the effect they have on their children. In those few years, I had enough to be really influenced by her about what kind of woman i wanted to be and what kind of mother I wanted to be."
Allison Kalsched a women's fitness specialist is one of the Co-Founders of NYMMNJ. She was so excited to share the "significance of the community of women" that came together to not only organize this first ever symposium but the respected presenters and the 250 women that came from near and far to this event.
Allison has been working exclusively with women for about ten years on their fitness and health journey. "The story hasn't changed much, remarks Kalsched, since Dr. Malone's mother was born in the early part of the twentieth century, and everything she (Bertha) learned about women's health was through a symposium of women-the benefits of being surrounded by women and how we can help one another." NYMMNJ was put together by a group of women out of the necessity of getting the help they need for their midlife health and wellbeing. Most of these women had come to Allison for training and they've been through all life changes together.
Allison concurs that women some times make things too complicated and tend to put our well being on the back burner. As women age we need to work on our bodies differently than when we were younger. Taking the time to see a doctor is important, but "we have to think about the woman's body as much more complicated and much more holistic." Fifty percent of the women who walk in Allison's door complain of frozen shoulder or plantar fasciitis, they are the most common complaints. Allison believes that mainly these issues of inflammation in joints are reactions to changes in our hormones " it's all connected."
NOT YOUR MOTHER'S MENOPAUSE NJ:
Not Your Mother’s Menopause NJ is the creation of three Maplewood/South Orange based women who recognized a need for an event such as this.
April L McKenzie started the popular Facebook group Perimenopause — It’s for Real (now renamed Not Your Mother’s Menopause NJ) when she became increasingly frustrated at her own personal experience with finding help for her perimenopausal symptoms. Since the group’s founding in 2021, almost 800 women have shared their knowledge, resources and experiences. She has just been voted in as a board member of Let's Talk Menopause, a national nonprofit, where she will grow her involvement in women's health advocacy and menopause awareness.
Stacey Futterman Tauriello is the founder of 5 Point Physical Therapy and a pelvic health specialist. After 28 years practicing pelvic health, Stacey (and her patients) were going through hormonal changes that affected their lifestyle in many ways.
Allison Kalschedis a women’s fitness specialist who has worked in the Maplewood area for over 10 years. As she and her clients have aged together, she became increasingly interested in how the menopause transition affects every system in a woman’s body. She is currently studying to become a certified menopause coach.
The three of us have come together to help our community forge a path through the information overload about the menopause transition. This event took place for the very first time on January 12, 2025! More information coming regarding a video of the day long event with all the presenters including Dr. Sharon Malone.
DR. SHARON MALONE:
WEBSITE: https://www.drsharonmalone.com/press
Social Media Links
Instagram: @smalonemd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grown-woman-talk
Threads: @smalonemd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharon.malone.982
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ALLISON KALSCHED:
Allison Kalsched
NASM Personal Trainer
Women's Fitness Specialist
stay connected:
Here are some links:
Event website
https://notyourmothersmenopausenj.com/
NYMM on IG
https://www.instagram.com/notyourmothersmenopause_/
FB group (private but large)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1125549224586395
My personal IG
https://www.instagram.com/allisonkalsched
Co-founders of NYMM IG
https://www.instagram.com/s_futterman
https://www.instagram.com/almckenzie0595/