Karen Asp is the contributing health editor for TheBeet.com. A vegan for over 10 years (and vegetarian for almost 20) whose vegan journey began after making a pact with a cow while hiking in Austria, she’s an award-winning journalist and author (Anti-Aging Hacks is her latest book) who specializes in fitness, health, nutrition, travel and animals. Karen writes the monthly pet feature for Better Homes & Gardens and is a contributing writer for VegNews and regular contributor to numerous other leading publications, including Martha Stewart Living, Eating Well, Forks Over Knives, Clean Eating, Real Simple, Sentient Media, Oxygen, USA Today’s magazines, Midwest Living, O, Reader’s Digest and Woman’s Day. A frequent podcast and web show guest who loves educating people about healthy living and veganism, she’s also a fitness trainer who’s certified in plant-based nutrition, athlete with Nordic walking world records, PETA vegan mentor and soon, a Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator. Visit her at karenasp.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @karenaspwriter.
Karen Asp
5 Surprising Foods That Can Actually Help You Lose Weight
You might think individuals who manage to lose weight and keep it off eat only salads, especially if they’re plant-based. Let's put that urban myth to bed.
While plant-based eaters do eat salad, they also eat a lot more than that, including foods you probably consider off-li…
While plant-based eaters do eat salad, they also eat a lot more than that, including foods you probably consider off-li…
How to Eat to Help Lower Risk of Colon Cancer, From Experts
It used to be that colon cancer was an old person's disease. Sadly, more and more younger people are turning up with this cancer, the second most deadly in the US, according to the statistics that show that while risk increases with age, the rates of this cancer are skyrocke…
How to Eat to Reduce Plantar Fasciitis Pain, From a Doctor
When a runner gets heel pain, it can develop into full-blown plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting your Achilles tendon and your toes, and because it's so hard to treat, you'll do anything to make the pain subside a…
Is Cereal As Unhealthy As Everyone Says? This Expert’s Answer May Surprise You
Cereal is such a staple in the American diet, that people eat it more than any other classic breakfast choice (toast and bacon come in second and third), and four out of five Americans eat it for dinner, according to a YouGov survey. Yet cereal has been maligned as a sugar-laden highly processed foo…
Men and Women Stress Differently. Here’s How to Cope, from Experts
Got stress? Of course you do – you’re human, after all. Yet not all stress is created equally, and how you handle that stress may depend on your sex, as men and women have different ways of expressing and handling that stress. Below, experts weigh in on these differences and of…
Will Eating Nuts Make You Gain Weight? No, Explains an RD. Here’s What to Know
Don’t knock nuts. While they have a bad rap for being high in calories, these nutritional powerhouses could be a dieter’s best friend – as long as you don’t overdo it. Nuts often get lumped into the “bad” food category…
Why Eat More Mushrooms, Doctors Say: They Boost Immunity & Fight Cancer
Crossed mushrooms off your list? Not a good idea, as they’re loaded with good-for-you benefits. Mushrooms... you either love them or hate them. And hate them many of us do, according to a recent survey. which found that mushrooms were the most common hated vegetable by cons…
For Immunity and Natural Weight Loss, Drink This Type of Tea, Studies Say
If there’s one beverage you should be sipping daily, besides water, of course, it’s green tea. Green tea is often touted as the world’s healthiest beverage, and there are numerous reasons it’s earned that title. It comes with a myriad o…
What is Folate and Do You Need to Supplement? RDs Tell Why It’s Vital
When was the last time you thought about the folate in your diet? Probably never, unless, that is, you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, in which case doctors bring it up as an important vitamin to take. While it’s true that this nutrient is critical for women of…
Is Dark Chocolate Actually Healthy? We Asked Experts, and Here’s the Truth
You might view dark chocolate as a health food, but is it? Before you bite into that piece of chocolate, understand why dark chocolate may not deserve the health halo it’s been wearing.
Chocolate may not be the nutritional equivalent of kale, but it’s still lauded as a…
Chocolate may not be the nutritional equivalent of kale, but it’s still lauded as a…
Are Eggs as Healthy As You Think? Read This Before You Scramble Again
Americans love their eggs, so much that the average individual was eating an estimated 279 eggs a year, according to a report in The Washington Post. Numerous organizations like the American Heart Association encourage eating eggs as a way to get nutrients like protein, choline, zinc,…
Here’s How to Choose Healthy Carbs and Lose Weight, According to Experts
The low-carb diet trend is hotter than ever. But if you’re avoiding carbs for weight loss or health benefits, or because you’re following a keto diet, it's time to reconsider. Carbohydrates are your body’s main fuel source, and your brain als…