For women in their 40s and 50s, experiencing premenopausal and menopausal symptoms is an inevitable reality, no matter how much preparation you do. Symptoms like hot flashes, dry skin and insomnia are unpleasant, and the fact that this topic isn’t often discussed doesn’t do people any favors.
This was also true for actress Lisa Ann Walter. Abbott Elementary School and Parent Trap Starr has made healthy habits a priority, and Walter wants to ensure more people going through menopause have the information they need. Centrum Menopause Support About our new Hot Conversations campaign.
“We want to really normalize and normalize conversations about menopause and support systems in the workplace,” she says. eat well“Only a quarter of women say they receive any kind of menopause support at work – and I know that feeling well.”
In this exclusive interview, we spoke to Walter about menopause and this partnership, plus find out more about her favorite snacks to enjoy on set. Abbott And Philadelphia cuisine, which she loves and can’t wait to try.
eat well: What habits have you started to take care of yourself that you wish you had started sooner?
Walter: When I was 18, I started selling cosmetics in a high-end department store. That’s where I learned a lot about the ingredients you need to keep your skin looking great. Now, I’m lucky enough to get compliments from people who do my makeup on me. But I wish I’d taken better care of the skin on my body. My body skin is dry, I don’t want to call it scaly because it feels so awful, but it’s not great. The women that I work with, AbbottSo I always look at their skin and I ask, “What do you use?” and they tell me they use lotion in the shower to keep it hydrated. That’s amazing. I never thought of that. I wish I’d done that sooner.
eat well: Is there a meal or snack you always have on set to keep you fuelled?
Walter: I’m in the makeup chair at 4:30 in the morning and don’t have lunch until the crew finishes their morning shift, so I’m working almost eight hours before my meal break. I start my day with oatmeal, but sometimes I have Greek yogurt with berries. Egg whites are great for me too, they have protein so they give me energy and are a great snack. Another thing that the crew makes for me on set that I love is almond butter. It’s hard to eat apples on it, so I spread it on round apple slices and mix it with rolled oats. It keeps me full until lunchtime.
eat well: What are some common misconceptions about menopause that you wish more people knew about?
Walter: It’s the fact that everyone is different. When you reach the age of menopause, people say, “Oh, you’re menopausal. You’re dry, you’re no good, you’ve got no energy, you’ve got no stamina, you’ve got no optimism, you don’t have that oomph that you had when you were younger.” I say, look at me and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The success I’m having and the work I’m doing now isn’t just because I’m putting in the work, it’s not just because I’m blessed to have such a great partner like Centrum. At this stage in my life, I have more energy, drive, stamina than I’ve ever had before. I think this is this idea that women become useless after a certain age.
eat well: Why partner with Centrum?
Walter: Centrum was my grandmother’s favorite, so it was a brand I trusted anyway. Every time I went to Costco, I would buy her a package of Centrum Silver. It was her medicine, and she was the most knowledgeable person I knew about medicine and health, so I trusted that she knew that this brand was trustworthy. I saw the ingredients on the bottle of Centrum Menopause Support and I thought, “Oh, this is not just clinical, it’s herbal medicine that I’ve read about and it’s right in the formula.” So I fell in love with this product. I was especially drawn to the fact that the approach of this product is to make it easier for women to work. It lasts differently for different women. What people don’t realize is that my symptoms are not going to be the same as yours.
eat well: What would you like to try next time you’re in Philadelphia?
Walter: All of them. This year I asked people to share their local food recommendations other than cheesesteaks. “Where should I go?” My Instagram post featured a fierce fight between Rita and John over water ice in South Philly. Someone also told me about panzarotti. It’s like a calzone but deep fried. Sounds so good to me. Don’t threaten me with having a good time!
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
