FOR EMILY COHEN, FOOD IS HEALTH. With a master degree in food studies from NYU, a background in partnerships & marketing for food brands like cocojune, and a history of trying all the wellness trends from dutch testing to biohacking, Emily is the queen of wellness.

As the co-founder and chief development officer at Resist, Emily gets to combine her two favorite things: food as medicine and sustainability. To get a deeper dive into Emily's backstory, favorite blood sugar health tips, best recipes, and more -- keep reading!

So, tell us a bit more about you. Where are you from and what did you study in school?

I'm from Bethesda, Maryland. I studied sociology and psychology in undergrad and then I just got my masters in Food Studies from NYU.

What got you into the food space?

Honestly I don't really know... I was raised without red meat and was very conscious of the foods that I ate. My mom always made us sandwiches with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto and just kind of went above and beyond. And when I was in middle school I remember I used to make myself a bowl of steamed spinach the night before I had a test because I knew spinach was supposed to be good for brain health.

I lived in Sydney, Australia for a bit and they're so health conscious there. I also really got in to health and wellness podcasts in 2018 which really ignited the flame for me.

What podcasts did you listen to?

Mindbodygreen, Dr. Mark Hyman, Max Lugavere, Plant Proof with Simon Hill --those were some of the originals.

What has been the most rewarding moment since starting Resist?

Seeing Resist in stores has been pretty cool and getting re-orders from retailers. We have a retailer in Alaska which I think is awesome. Also seeing people share about how they have a health issue and Resist has helped in some way has been amazing. Its a reminder that we're doing something good and it's really resonating with people. 

What is your favorite ingredient by far? And is there an unexpected ingredient you can share for hormone and blood sugar health?

My favorite ingredient is acerola powder or goji berries. They're very underrated in terms of potency and antioxidants -- not enough people know about them. I remember the first time I tried goji berries was at a gas station in France and was shocked. Hope the US gas stations get on that trend! 

I think cinnamon is an amazing, underrated, ingredient for hormone and blood sugar health and is so easy to add to breakfast or snacks.

What is an ingredient or food that you avoid like the plague?

Okay, there's a lot. Fast food and fried food. Inflammatory seed oils like canola oil, grapeseed oil sunflower oil -- I think they're really bad for you. I know that there's a lot of conflicting claims out there, but I just prefer to stick with avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. I try to stay away from processed sweets as well, they're full of sugars and other fillers. I'm a very ingredients first person so I always want to know exactly what I'm eating. 

What is the weirdest thing you do in your wellness routine? 

I have a few. I like to drink apple cider vinegar with water. I like to go on walks after my meals. Recently I've been getting into meditation. So I fall asleep to this guided meditation -- my roommate is probably thinking who is Emily hiding in her room? Oh! Also! This is more eco-wellness but I keep a bag in my freezer to store food scraps that I'll later drop off at the compost. 

Out of the recipes you made with Resist bars, what would you say is your best recipe and what is your favorite?

Ok my favorite one is probably the low-carb brownies. They were filled with grated zucchini and cut up cinnamon cacao maca Resist bars. But the one I'm most proud of is the shrimp Pad Thai with crumbled Resist bar on top in the peanut butter turmeric flavor. It actually worked so well, which was just such an unexpected surprise.

As a hormone health snack brand, who is your dream celebrity spokesperson?

Keke Palmer would be awesome -- she has PCOS and is a great role model. I also have recently gotten into the Blonde Files podcast. Arielle the host would be super fun to do a collab with. 

Can you share a funny or surprising story that happened as created such a great snack for hormone health?

A lot of them weren't funny in the moment. They really sucked in the moment. Whether it was driving to get our bars and not knowing which roads we could drive on with the U-Haul and not having service. Also, moving boxes up and down from Drew's apartment. It's really funny to look back on them now and we like to say that everything that happens is for our future podcast. Everything is funny with time!

You don't like a lot of sweeteners, are there any sweet treats you love?

I love a 80% dark chocolate. I also like making the low-carb brownies. I also love mushy textures, so sometimes I just mix my protein powder with water or water & chia.

If you had to choose between fiber, healthy fats, and plant protein, what would you choose?

I would choose protein. It just a really helps with a lot -- with your bones, with overall health, and I think you can probably find fiber in a lot of proteins. So yeah, queen protein!

What has been the most frustrating moment as a co-founder of Resist bars?

Things don't happen quickly. Everything takes time. As a young women in a male dominated industry, you hear no a lot of the time -- but you have to keep going. 

Also just dealing with men in general... Talking about hormone health doesn't seem to click with them, even though everyone has hormones. 

You live in LA. What is your favorite thing to do there?

I love biking to the beach on the weekends, grabbing brunch and walking around with friends, and exploring new neighborhoods. 

And lastly what is your favorite Resist bar flavor?

I'd say.... goji cherry chia.... for the moment!