Karen Asp, MA, CPT, VLCE Title: Freelance Health Writer Education: Miami University, Indiana University Location: Fort Wayne, IN Expertise: Health, Nutrition, Fitness, Travel Karen Asp is an award-winning journalist and author specializing in fitness, nutrition, health, animals, and travel. She has over two decades of experience writing for leading publications like Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens, O, SELF, Real Simple, Forks Over Knives, Clean Eating, Oxygen, Reader's Digest, EatingWell, Health, Prevention, Good Housekeeping, AARP, Vegetarian Times and VegNews. Experience During her career, Karen has held several positions on mastheads. She was the fitness columnist for Allure for eight years and a contributing writer for Woman's Day for eight years. Today, she's a contributing writer for VegNews and Sentient Media and the contributing health editor for TheBeet.com. Although she spends the majority of her time penning articles, she's also the author of two books, including Food Allergies and Intolerances, which she wrote with two Harvard physicians, and Anti-Aging Hacks.In addition, Karen is an ACE-certified personal trainer and fitness instructor who competes in Nordic walking. As a plant-powered athlete, she's won several world championships and holds two world records in the sport. She's passionate about spreading the message about the importance of plant-based diets and the vegan lifestyle, her expertise enhanced by being a certified plant-based nutrition educator, vegan mentor and certified vegan lifestyle coach and educator.Honors & Awards:Three-time winner of the MORE Awards from the American Academy of Orthopaedic SurgeonsProfessional MembershipsASJA, SATW, American Council on Exercise Education Karen holds a B.A. from Miami University and an M.A. from Indiana University. She's an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, certified in plant-based nutrition, and a certified vegan lifestyle coach and educator. About Real Simple Real Simple, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning, trusted online resource for smart, authentic solutions to simplify your life. We reach 11 million readers a month. Our content is written by experienced journalists and fact-checked for accuracy. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.