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
To Lower Blood Pressure, Eat These 5 Foods and Avoid These 5
Got high blood pressure? Most likely the answer is yes, given that almost half of American adults have this condition, putting them at greater risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yet that blood pressure is largely under your control...
Yet that blood pressure is largely under your control...
Could Too Much Coffee Lead to Alzheimer’s? New Study Finds Link
It's no secret that Americans have a love affair with coffee. Almost six in 10 of us drink coffee every day and choose it over any other beverage. We now sip two cups per day, on average, according to the National Coffee Drinking Trends report. Up ...
Which Bread is the Healthiest: Rye or Wheat? An Expert Explains
Bread is back, thanks in large part to the pandemic, and 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, #ryebread trending on social media …
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&Close…
Can Eating Plant-Based Help Ease Period Cramps? An Expert’s Take
Menstrual cramps aren’t only annoying–for many people, they can be debilitating. While you might have reached for an over-the-counter medication in the past to quell the pain, you may want to try a more effective and natural solution: Eating a diet of plant-based…
How Much Sugar Should You Eat in a Day? The Answer May Surprise You
Is your sweet tooth raging? It may be time to get it under control, for the sake of your health: Too much sugar a day can weaken your immune system, raise your risk of cancer and wreak havoc with your insulin levels. Doctors warn that too much sugar can drive up blood sugar, leading to insulin resis…
Do You Need an Omega-3 Supplement If You Don’t Eat Fish? The Answer
There is confusion about dietary fat, and especially whether or not we need to work to get the essential fatty acids omega 6 and omega 3, into our diet. These are called "essential" fats because they are not made by the body, yet they work hand in hand to lower inflammation, fight heart di…
5 Surprisingly Healthy Foods That Help Promote Weight Loss
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-l…
This is What Happens to Your Body When You Go Plant-Based
Whenever you adopt a new healthy habit, you want immediate results. The trouble is, change often happens slowly – with one exception: When you transition to a plant-based diet for optimal health and wellbeing, your body starts changing for the better almost instantly. Ever...
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…