What Cure Hydration Founder Lauren Picasso Keeps in Her Wellness Bag

lauren picasso what's in my wellness bag

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Welcome to What’s in My Wellness Bag: Our series in which we ask cool people to metaphorically unpack their wellness bag—or what we think of as someone’s whole wellness routine. Their gym stuff, their nutrition stuff, their sleep stuff, their self-care stuff. It’s a little bit like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag. But instead of a coat rack, there’s an Apple Watch, electrolyte mix, and a Solo Stove.

lauren picasso cure
Lauren Picasso

Meet Lauren

“I’m the Founder and CEO of Cure Hydration, a hydrating electrolyte drink mix sold online and in retail stores nationwide. I started Cure in 2019 after struggling to stay hydrated no matter how much water I drank. I decided to create my own electrolyte drink made with plant-based, non-GMO ingredients that tastes as good as it feels. As a lifelong endurance athlete, I love staying active and spend my free time running, biking, and playing pickleball in Brooklyn where I live with my husband and dog Kody.” 

Lauren’s Wellness Bag

The Calm App

calm app
Brock DuPont for The Nessie

“I use the Calm app to meditate every day! In the morning I do the Daily Calm meditation as soon as I wake up, even before my morning coffee. Then at night I do a Sleep Story to help me go to bed.”

Earn 350 Ness card points

Apple Watch

Apple

“I bought it for myself in 2020 after I realized how little I was walking during COVID! I use my Apple Watch to track all of my health metrics including steps, calories, exercise minutes, sleep, and heart rate. I’m a data nerd and love to see my progress in the Health app.”

Earn 798 Ness Card points

Cure Hydration Hydrating Electrolyte Drink Mix

“I started Cure in 2019, after struggling to find an electrolyte product that wasn’t full of added sugar and artificial ingredients. Hydration is my #1 priority to stay healthy followed by sleep, exercise, and high-quality nutrition. Each of Cure’s flavors follow a scientific formula that is proven to hydrate as effectively as an IV drip. Strawberry Kiwi is our newest flavor, so it’s currently my favorite, and it’s delicious!”

Earn 529 Ness Card points

GEM Daily Essentials

GEM

“I ordered online after meeting the founder, Sara. Her philosophy of ‘food as medicine’ really resonated with me! I love that GEM uses real, plant-based ingredients, since I always prefer to get my vitamins and minerals from food.”

Earn 275 Ness Card points

UPLIFT Standing Desk

UPLIFT Desk

“Before COVID, I always used to take my calls walking, but now that everything has moved to video calls I find myself glued to my desk all day. This standing desk allows me to stand and move around during meetings so that I’m not sitting for 8 hours straight.”

Earn 1,198 Ness Card points

Orangetheory

Orangetheory

“I go to the Orangetheory studio in Williamsburg a few times a week. I love the community there!”

Earn 100 Ness Card points

Citi Bike

Citi Bike

“Nothing lifts my mood more than a bike ride! I try to ride a Citi Bike most places that are too far to walk and am always so much happier riding a bike than taking the subway or taxi.”

Earn 85 Ness Card points

Vitamix Blender

Vitamix

“My husband and I put the Vitamix Pro Series 750 on our wedding registry. I love making smoothies, acai bowls, soups, and dips with it. I find myself using it every day to squeeze more fruits and veggies into my diet. “

Earn 2,495 Ness Card points

Solo Stove

Solo Stove

“When my husband and I moved to Brooklyn we finally got some outdoor space and immediately bought a Solo Stove. With all the time we spend on our devices, it’s important to unplug. I love making campfires outside with my husband and friends instead of watching TV or being stuck inside. Even when it’s cold outside, we’ll bundle up and hang out by the fire.”

Earn 900 Ness Card points

Recess Pickleball Racket Set

Recess

“McCarren Park in Williamsburg has turned into a pickleball destination. Almost every weekend, I’ll go and play with friends to get some sunshine and be active.”

Earn 900 Ness Card points

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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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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

“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.”

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