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What This Retreat Is About
Your brain is the most metabolically demanding organ in your body. Comprising only about 2% of your body weight, it consumes more than 20% of your total daily energy.
This retreat is not about memory tricks or supplements. It is about understanding the deep connection between how your metabolism works and how clearly, calmly, and vigorously your brain functions. One of the most striking discoveries in recent years is that brain health is intricately connected to metabolic health — conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are not only linked to metabolic dysfunction, but also to mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.We now know that elevated blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, and impaired cerebral glucose metabolism are well-documented contributors to neuronal dysfunction — especially in Alzheimer's disease, which is sometimes referred to as "Type 3 diabetes."The good news? Food is one of the most powerful tools we have to change this.
The Science Behind the Weekend
Fuel and the Brain The brain mostly utilizes glucose, but it has evolved to exploit additional fuels — such as ketones — especially during fasting or periods of reduced carbohydrate intake. With aging, the brain can become less efficient at utilizing glucose, but brain cells can still utilize ketones efficiently, providing a rationale for metabolic dietary interventions.The Gut-Brain Connection The gut-brain axis is a complex bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. The gut microbiota — often called the "second brain" — influences the CNS through pathways such as neurotransmitter production and immune modulation, affecting mood, cognition, and emotional responses.
Omega-3s, Inflammation & Mood EPA and DHA — the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish — contribute to neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, enhancing cognitive functions such as learning and memory. They also regulate the stress response by mitigating excessive cortisol production associated with anxiety and depression.
Neurotransmitters Begin at the Table Nutritional intake is critical for producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which regulate mood, appetite, and cognition. These neurotransmitters rely on the intake of essential nutrients like tryptophan, vitamin B6, B12, folate, choline, and glutamic acid.
The Weekend Schedule
Thursday Evening — Arrival & Orientation
3:00 pm — Check-In Settle into your private room and take in the Island.
5:00 pm — Welcome & Dinner Gather around the table. Share a nourishing meal designed to reflect the principles of the weekend. Meet your fellow participants and settle in.
7:00 pm — Opening Lecture: The Hungry Brain How does the brain actually get its energy? What happens when glucose metabolism falters — and what does that have to do with brain fog, afternoon crashes, mood swings, and the early stages of cognitive decline? We'll open the science and make it personal.
Friday — Deep Dive
Morning — Lecture: Inflammation, Insulin & the Brain The surprising connection between blood sugar dysregulation and anxiety, depression, memory, and mental fatigue. We'll explore what "neuroinflammation" actually means — and how eating patterns either fan those flames or put them out.
Midday — Cooking Demonstration & Lunch Jan leads a hands-on cooking class featuring brain-protective foods: wild fish, leafy greens, eggs, anti-inflammatory herbs, and fermented vegetables. We'll talk about why each ingredient earns its place at the table.
Afternoon — Lecture: The Gut-Brain Highway The gut and brain are connected through a network of nerves, hormones, and immune signals. Gut bacteria help produce brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamineand the foods you eat either support or undermine that production every single day.
Evening — Dinner & Discussion A relaxed shared dinner, followed by open conversation about what participants are noticing in their own bodies, energy, and clarity.
Saturday — Integration in Motion
Morning — Guided Hike Move your body, clear your mind. We walk together through the Island landscape — a fitting companion to the weekend's theme that physical movement is itself a metabolic brain tool.
Late Morning — Lecture: Food, Mood & the Mitochondria Mitochondrial health is brain health. We'll cover what slows your cellular energy production — and what restores it. Practical, science-backed, and immediately applicable.
Afternoon — Cooking Demonstration & Dinner A full farm-to-table demonstration dinner featuring the week's key ingredients woven into a complete, satisfying meal.
Sunday — Closing & Carrying It Forward
Morning — Sunrise Walk Begin the day outdoors with a gentle walk and time for reflection.
Breakfast & Final Lecture: Your Personal Brain Health Plan What to take home. How to sustain what you've learned. Simple daily rhythms — around meals, movement, sleep, and nourishment — that protect and support your brain for the long term.
Retreat Closes at 11:00 am
What You'll Take Home
A clearer understanding of the brain-metabolism connection
Recipes and meal frameworks designed specifically for brain health
Knowledge of the key nutrients: omega-3s, choline, B vitamins, antioxidants, and fermented foods
Simple daily habits you can maintain — without obsession or restriction
A community of people committed to the same goals
This Retreat Is for You If:
You experience brain fog, mid-afternoon crashes, or low mood
You've noticed your memory or focus isn't what it used to be
Anxiety or irritability feels tied to what (or when) you eat
You want to understand the science — not just follow a list
You want to nourish your brain, not just manage your weight
Why Jan & John
John brings deep scientific rigor — a PhD in Nutrition & Food Science and an MPH — and an unwavering commitment to understanding where health research comes from and how to interpret it.
Jan brings 35+ years in the kitchen, a Master's in Education, and a lifetime of cooking locally, teaching, and translating science into food that actually nourishes.
When science hits the pan — it becomes practical.
Investment $500. Non refundable deposit
On-Site, Full Inclusive — $1,375 Private room with private bath, all meals, all lectures, and cooking classes for the full retreat — Thursday check-in through Sunday morning departure. Everything included. Nothing to think about but learning and nourishing yourself.
Off-Site Rate — $850 All meals, all lectures, and cooking classes included. Lodging arranged separately. This option is ideal for Island residents or those with local accommodation.
Space is intentionally limited to keep this retreat intimate and personal
To register or inquire, please contact Jan Buhrman. A deposit is required to hold your place.
*Before signing up, please read our Cancellation Policy in full