Expert Reviewer

Julianne Benson

Juli Benson has been a key figure with the U.S. running scene for 25 years. Her 7-year professional running career was highlighted with her Olympic appearance in the 1500 meters in 1996. She has coached professional and collegiate athletes for nearly two decades, including Jenny Simpson during her 1500-meter World Championship season in 2011. Juli’s college coaching stops have included the U.S. Air Force Academy, George Mason University, Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and James Madison University. She currently coaches post-collegiate athletes who are preparing for the U.S.Olympic Trials. Juli’s coaching services can be found at www.julibensontraining.com Aside from coaching, Juli is also a television color commentator and has announced at major marathons including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.
Articles by Julianne Benson
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The team at The Nessie is composed of people who live and die by their morning rituals, will go to lengths to find the best sweat-wicking running socks, and are known in their network as the go-to person for a spa recommendation. In other words, we love the world of wellness. Our editorial team’s work has been featured in some of the biggest brands in the health and wellness space, like Greatist, Prevention, Elemental, and Self.

While all our writers and editors have deep experience or expertise in their fields, every piece of content on The Nessie is reviewed and fact-checked by at least two relevant experts from our expert panel.

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“This card is such an exciting addition to my wallet and it’s perfect for someone who values health and wellness but hasn’t found a credit card that rewards me for that. I love getting rewarded for wellness practices like sleeping, meditating, and moving my body—plus extra points on purchases at my favorite places like Whole Foods, ClassPass and sweetgreen. The app is easy to use and the card is designed for your definition of health and wellness, which I love. It’s flexible!”

Kira's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • sweetgreen
  • Whole Foods
  • HigherDOSE
  • Bandier
  • ClassPass

“It’s no secret that wellness is such an important part of my everyday life. I spend a lot of money to help fuel my love of running, recovery, nutrition and mindfulness, so the fact that I can now earn rewards for every dollar I spend with the Ness Card is amazing. My health always comes first, and the Ness Card makes that easy to do. It’s a win-win for everyone!”

Andi's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • The Fresh Market
  • Sephora
  • Bluemercury
  • Athletic Greens
  • HOKA Shoes

“As a new mum, wellness and self-care is a priority for me—so I can, in turn, be able to take care of my baby. I love the incentives that Ness offers for making healthier choices. And to be rewarded along the way for those purchases is such a plus!

Oh, and getting 5x point rewards on my Erewhon $20+ smoothie makes it a little more justifiable.”

Amrit's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • sweetgreen
  • Erewhon
  • Sakara
  • [solidcore]
  • Ghia

“I made a promise to myself to find my joy again in 2023. For the past few years, I haven’t been taking care of myself mentally and physically because I’ve just been on the go and focusing on the future instead of being present. I realized that part of the reason I wasn’t happy was because I wasn’t taking care of myself. So, now with the Ness Card—which literally rewards you for staying on top of your wellness journey—I’ve easily been able to focus on my mental and physical journey. Using the card is now a part of my weekly routine, whether I’m buying groceries, going to therapy, spending a day at the spa, or treating myself to a delicious yummy meal.”

Candace's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Erewhon
  • Moon Juice
  • Golde
  • Youth To The People
  • HeyDay

“I love life with the Ness Card! The team behind the scenes work really hard to make it valuable and to create a sense of community, which you feel in every newsletter and hand-crafted partnership. The card itself encourages me to be even more curious about where I’m spending my money. It definitely incentivizes me to spend ‘healthier’, which is really unique. On top of that, getting points for taking more steps? There is seriously nothing like it.”

David's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Az I Am
  • Whole Foods
  • Primo Passo Coffee
  • Kreation
  • sweetgreen

“My favorite thing about the Ness Card is that it rewards you for your healthy habits, and not all of them require spending. Yes, you can earn 5x points when you spend at any of their approved health and wellness merchants (think Erewhon and many of your other favorites) but you also earn points for being active daily! So now your sanity walks are literally paying off :) As someone who not only works in wellness but lives and breathes it, essentially most of my expenses live in that realm and with the Ness Card I can now be rewarded nicely for those purchases.”

Kirsty's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Erewhon
  • Oura
  • Myodetox
  • HigherDOSE
  • Hyperice

“I love that I have rewards to look forward to when I focus on my health and wellness. As a mom of two and full time photographer/creator, it’s hard to find time to prioritize my health and—as my body ages—I want to make sure that I’m treating it to all the TLC it needs (and deserves)! The Ness Card reminds me to take care of my mental, physical, and emotional health on the daily.”

Valerie's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Alo Yoga
  • Beyond Yoga
  • Lululemon
  • Moon Juice
  • Ritual

“It’s refreshing to have a card app that is so easy to use. I can track my spending and rewards at the click of a button. I love getting a notification when I get extra points for getting a full night sleep or getting my steps in, though of course those are optional. I work a lot, and I feel like I get extra rewarded for taking the time to take care of myself – whether it’s therapy or simply cooking at home instead of dining out. The points accumulate really quickly, and I’ve already gotten a $1,000 credit at Erewhon in my first four months. I also go visit family in Europe a lot, and no one takes my card there, so it’s so convenient to be able to use my Ness Card without ever paying a fee.”

Mélanie's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Heimat
  • UACTP
  • Vitru
  • Clearstem
  • Looni

“As someone who spends the majority of her money on wellness, the Ness Card is perfect for me! I love earning 5x points on purchases at healthy businesses that I was already making, anyways. The Ness Card also motivates me to get enough sleep, practice mindfulness and other healthy habits. The app is really user-friendly and I love watching my points add up. I am excited to redeem them for wellness-related items!”

Lauren's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Vuori
  • Club Pilates
  • sweetgreen
  • Whole Foods
  • Alo Yoga

“The Ness Card motivates me to keep up my healthy habits, and has helped me discover new brands and products that are in alignment with my goals. I’m not spending any more with my Ness Card, but the money I am spending on health and wellness is actually earning me rewards, benefits, and even cash back. And because Ness’s definition of a ‘healthy merchant’ is so generous, I’m able to recognize all of the small ways I practice self-care throughout the week. From buying fresh veggies to going to therapy to taking my supplements, the Ness Card is there to cheer me on: ‘Keep being healthy, girl. You deserve 5x points for that.'”

Melissa's Favorite Healthy Merchants

  • Sprouts
  • Fika Infusion + Wellness
  • M.S., LFMT
  • Anthony Vince Nail Spa
  • Ulta

“The Ness Card rewards me when I spend money on health and wellness. Especially because so much of my wellness routine is spent being active, gardening, making food with my husband, getting a massage, or having some me time, it is nice to be rewarded for that with points that are with brands I shop at all the time anyway. It allows my wellness choices to work harder which I love.”

Research Based

This article was rigorously researched and fact checked. We use peer-reviewed journals and reputable medical sources (think: CDC, WHO, NIH, and the like) to back up every claim we make, and also reach out to experts in the field to ensure we’re covering things the right way. We apply these principles to everything we cover—including brands we partner with—and we’ll always disclose sponsorships, ads, and any kind of financial relationship with anything featured on The Nessie. You deserve the best, most straightforward information on health and wellness, and we think this is the right way to do it. You can read more about our testing and review process here.

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