Building a Stronger You -

February 8 – 13, 2026

Sebastian, Florida

**$1,000 Deposit Required To Reserve Your Spot

THE RETREAT

Set in a lush, subtropical environment across from the 22,000-acre St. Sebastian River Preserve, ChoZen Eco-Retreat & Sanctuary is home to​ approximately ​10,000​ ​species​ ​of flora and fauna and ​25 endangered​ animals, including the Florida Panther. ChoZen is located in the heart of one of North America’s most biodiverse lagoon systems–– the nursing ground for​ ​our oceanic friends including lagoon fish and shellfish. Regular sightings of dolphins, manatees, wild​ ​turkeys,​ turtles​,​ ​bobcats,​ ​hawks and more are a natural part of daily life. We invite you to experience this unique environment in a 5-day retreat focused on personal strength building.  This adventure includes meals, lectures, cooking classes, hikes, and workouts, as well as accommodations (5 days and 5 nights).

Lectures and cooking classes will focus on Enhanced Immune Function; Finding Deeper Sleep; Increased Mental Clarity; Stronger Muscles; and Improved Detoxification.

Workouts, daily hikes, and nourishment that specifically targets over all health. Meals and cooking classes will include high-quality proteins; the right portion for your daily intake will be calculated based on you and your lifestyle. Our approach is a well-rounded, holistic plan that specifically targets a  stronger you.

AND IF COLD PLUNGING IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE  CONSIDERED  THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY

You will  have the opportunity to cold plunge as part of the daily experience here in this tropical paradise. Studies suggest that cold-water plunging following high-intensity exercise has positive outcomes for muscular power, perceived recovery, and reduced muscle soreness (due to decreased levels of creatine kinase, associated with muscle damage and soreness). And if cold plunging is not your thing, well- there is a sauna and a heated swimming pool!

Our programs and retreats always incorporate well-sourced, high-quality foods, supplements, and products. All meals use ingredients from the best producers available;  we look for 100% organic food, grass-fed meats, wild, regenerative growing practices, and biodynamic and glyphosate-free labeling. 

With Jan providing cooking classes prior to a lunch or dinner, you will learn how to prepare delicious meals that are nutrient dense, while understanding labels and food sourcing.  A recipe book and sources are available for each participant.

Nutritional lectures will cover understanding the science behind the studies. John interprets studies that reinforce the importance of nutrients in health and how they affect specific aspects of disease as well as athletic abilities. We will include the most up-to-date studies on health and wellness, and we will have fun!

We source and find the best of the best. 

Both of these programs will include  all the meals and recipes, activities, lectures and cooking classes.

There will be meditation, journaling and a time to share your challenges and achievements. Consider a diet and lifestyle that will teach as you boost your wellbeing and build strength.

We promote the importance of …

• buying food grown close to home

  getting loads of exercise

  eating a variety of plants (a minimum of 40 a week!)

  eliminating stress

  limiting exposure to toxins and chemicals

  prescribing to functional medicine  

 … and finding gratitude in one’s daily life.

STAYING FIT FOR LIFE IS KEY TO OVERALL HEALTH

We focus on Building a Stronger You - Three Pillars

Cognitive: Executive function, processing speed, and memory; dementia is an extreme version of this decline, but many far less severe forms of this decline are pervasive.

Physical: Stability, flexibility, mobility, strength, muscle mass, bone density, aerobic efficiency, anaerobic output, freedom from pain, and sexual function.

Emotional: social support, relationships, sense of purpose, fulfillment, and relationality.

For those who favor a preventative approach to cardiology and who follow a functional medicine approach where nutrition and lifestyle is the foundation to good  health.  Functional medicine is not for everyone and our teachings are a patient-centered approach to treating inflammation and chronic diseases. One 

that focuses on identifying the root causes of illness and restoring health by addressing those causes. It is based on systems biology, which considers the interconnections of physiological factors,  individual  genes,  the environment, nutrition and lifestyle, and how they are considered on an individual's profile. It is an evolution of discovering our individual wellness.

*Before signing up, please read our Cancellation Policy in full

Villa Located on river with attached spa and swimming pool

Private Rooms

 Private Room - King Bed and Private Bath: $3,995

Private Room - Queen Room Shared Bath: $3,800

NEST Centrally located

Private Room and Private Bath $3,700

Estuary Lodge

Private Room Shared Bath $3,200

Shared Rooms

Share a room  (2 per room)  Less $500. Per person 

Share a room  (3 or more per room) - there is a group room that has 4 beds - check availability 

ABOUT JOHN AND JAN

John Bagnulo and Jan Buhrman. Together John and Jan have been offering health and wellness retreats since 2009.

John Bagnulo has an MPH from the University of North Carolina and a Doctorate of Human Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Maine. He has worked as a researcher, a university associate professor, and a clinical consultant for the past 24 years. He currently serves as the Director of Nutrition for Nutritional Medicinals, a faculty member for the Center for Mind Body Medicine, Washington DC, and has a clinical practice in Middlebury VT. Much of his clinical practice is with athletes and those involved in physically demanding sports.
Jan Buhrman, M.S. Ed., was the founder and owner of the full service farm to table catering company, The Kitchen Porch, on Martha's Vineyard. Jan has become a food advocate and authority on local sourcing and sustainable agriculture with her years of sourcing foods for her catering business from local fishermen and farmers. Jan has taught thousands of classes on technique and the importance of knowing where your food comes from.  She has raised pigs and chickens and gardens, feeding her family while nourishing the land. In addition to cooking, preserving and techniques, she teaches about the connections of food and health and about composting and soil regeneration.

John brings the nutrition and the science behind our philosophies and Jan ties in the practical “how-to” of incorporating healthy recipes and lifestyle into one's life. John explores the science behind these approaches to healthy living and presents the latest research to the classes  in fun approachable ways. Jan puts it all together by teaching how to incorporate it into your daily life.

In our classes you will learn about the plant based diet and how the nutrients and fibers are vital to our gut. We explain how to incorporate animal protein into our diet, by eating animals that are grown in the wild or on pasture.It is all related; our heart, brain, and gut health are directly related to our diet and lifestyle and if it is healthy for the soil or the animals, it’s a good bet it’s healthy for us and the planet too…. Food is medicine, lifestyle is medicine, you get to choose everyday!