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
How to Eat to Help Lower Risk of Colon Cancer, According to Experts
Colon cancer is often thought of as an old person's disease, but sadly, more and more younger people are turning up with this cancer, the second most deadly in the U.S., according to the statistics that show that while the risk increases with age, the rates of this cancer are skyrocketing among people under the age of 50. The rate of people gett
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The Health Benefits of Miso Soup, from Gut Health to Fighting Inflammation
If the only time you've ever eaten miso soup is at a Japanese restaurant, it may be time to reconsider that approach and add miso to your weekly or even daily menu. Miso soup has been linked to health benefits such as improving gut health, as well as fighting inflammation...
What is Nutritional Yeast? Here Are the Health Benefits
Do you love Parmesan, but are trying to ditch dairy? You’ll probably also dig nutritional yeast. While there’s nothing cheesy in it, nutritional yeast is often described as having a rich cheese-like flavor, one reason you’ll see it used on everything from pasta to popcorn. While it's a great substit...
Here’s How Much Zinc You Need to Boost Immunity Right Now
Got zinc? That may be the question of the moment, especially if you’re taking zinc supplements in hopes of building your immune system. Yet immune function is a complicated topic, and while having the right amount of zinc on board could help prevent infections, taking excess zinc may not be the best strategy.
What is Zin...
What is the Healthiest Type of Bread? An Expert Answers
While whole wheat bread usually steals the show for being one of the healthiest breads on the planet, don’t overlook rye. Rye’s popularity has been on the rise over the years, with the hashtag #ryebread even trending on social media in recent months.
But if yo
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The 9 Incredible Health Benefits of Ginger and How Much to Eat
If ginger is something you eat only when you order sushi, you’re missing out. While foods like kale and blueberries might be the first thing you think of when you hear the word "superfood," ginger ranks high on the list of small foods with big benefits, and it’s long been used in different cultures for its medicinal properties. Ginger is ...
Want to Reduce Stress? Here’s What to Add to Your Plate
What’s good for the body is good for the brain, and food has a powerful effect on your mind, so much so that it can help lift your mood. Here are the many plant-based foods that can help reduce stress and boost your mood.
Depression, of course, isn’t to be taken lightly and should be treated by seeking professional help. Even just mild depre
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Is Dark Chocolate Actually Healthy? Here’s the Truth
You might view dark chocolate as a health food, but is it? Before you bite into it, 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 healthy food far and wide because of the antioxidants it contains. And there’s dat
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Even a Small Amount of Dairy Increases Risk for Breast and Liver Cancer
No doubt you grew up believing dairy is good for you. That’s a message the industry
has fed us for generations. While dairy does contain nutrients, it also appears to be damaging to your health, and even a small amount raises your risk of certain cancers a new study has found.
Although th...
Do You Need to Take a Folate Supplement? If You’re Tired, Read This
When was the last time you thought about getting enough 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 since it is critical to the healthy formation of the fetal brain stem and chord, which develop early, even before many women know they are pregnant
But most women have learned about