Announcing Brain Health Week at Rancho La Puerta
Join me in Tecate, Mexico this June + be a part of a new BHK Retreat
THIS RETREAT IS FULLY BOOKED. THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING IN ON A CANCELLATION, SO PLEASE CONTACT DONNA SHER AT THE NUMBER BELOW FOR LAST MINUTE INQUIRIES!
Hello, brain health ambassadors! As a regular Visiting Chef at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, I’ve been giving talks about brain health and teaching at the cooking school since 2015. Now I am absolutely thrilled to share that I am helping the Ranch organize an entire week of programming around cutting-edge brain health topics—the Ranch’s first-ever Brain Health Week. Scroll down to see the amazing group of brain health experts who will be joining me.
Not only that, I’ll be hosting a BHK Retreat there that same week. Yes, it’s like a retreat within a retreat! There are just a handful of spots in this Brain Health Retreat at the Ranch, which comes with additional perks and savings. Find all the details, below.
I was recently a guest on Rancho La Puerta’s pocast Resonate. Listen to my conversation with Barry Shingle here.









The Brain Health Retreat at the Ranch
A retreat with cooking, small group conversations, and special perks, all while enjoying this classic wellness destination and spa in the mountains of Northern Baja California, Mexico.
When: June 7 to 14, 2025
Where: Tecate, Mexico (an hour from San Diego)
Who: Me + about a dozen of you!
The Brain Health Retreat at Rancho La Puerta
This is my second time hosting a retreat at the Ranch. Retreat participants enjoy all the activities the Ranch offers, like fitness classes, yoga, meditation, educational workshops, hiking and walking trails, and art classes. Not to mention an amazing spa! Plus, the BHK retreat receives additional perks:
Special rates
Small group meetings with me (a tea workshop, a chocolate tasting, and an aperitivo talk)
Our own cooking class at La Cocina Que Canta
Dinner each night at one long table—a great way for me to get to know each of you, while you get to know one another
A few suprises!
Plus, this retreat falls during the Ranch’s first Brain Health Week June 7 to 14, 2025, so there will be brain health talks and workshops going on all week.
Join BHK as a paying subscriber to be the first to know about Brain Health Retreats. Plus, you’ll have access to all the recipes, articles, and guides I am sharing for better brain health. Founding Members get 4 live cooking class/kitchen chats per year.
Brain Health Week at Rancho La Puerta: Faculty






I’ve gathered some of my favorite people in the brain health world to share their expertise with you.
Carrie Geraci: Plein air artist, art educator, and the founding director of JH Public Art. She’ll be giving hands-on plein air painting workshops for everyone including absolute beginners. In addition, she’ll be giving a talk about Your Brain On Art: Creativity for Cognitive Wellness.
Stephanie Peabody, PhD: Neuropsychologist, founding director of the Brain Health Initiative, and Harvard educator, where she has created courses and taught for almost 30 years (including Women's Brain Health and Culinary and Nutritional Neuroscience). She’ll be giving workshops on how to create a brain healthy environment, caregiving, and boosting brainpower with movement and play.
Barbie Boules: RDN focused on cognitive health for midlife women and the creator of the Brain Space and Cognition Dietitian platforms. She’ll be giving workshops about metabolic health, how to fuel a workout, midlife brainpower, and perimenopause. In addition, Barbie and I will be collaborating on a cooking class at La Cocina Que Canta, the Ranch’s cooking school adjacent to its 6-acre organic garden.
Annie Fenn, MD (that’s me!): I’ll be teaching hands-on cooking classes at La Cocina Que Canta, and collaborating with the Ranch’s Chef Reyna Venegas for a sit down dinner experience blending traditional Baja California foods and brain-healthy cooking techniques. In addition, I’ll be giving two talks: Feed Your Brain: What To Eat To Fend Off Cognitive Aging and Stay Sharp With Age: 10 Ways To Take Care Of Your Brain.
If you have your heart set on joining me during Brain Health Week, be sure to share with a friend and snag your spots now! This is also an ideal retreat for couples, sisters, mothers & daughters, and the solo traveler.



I hope some of you wil be able to join me for this educational vacation!
June is a busy time at the Ranch and retreat spots are limited. Sign up by March 28 by contacting Donna Sher at 858.449.3672 or email her at dsher52@hotmail.com.
She will help you register for Brain Health Week and, if you wish, the BHK Retreat group. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have.
Love,
Annie
Hi Annie, are we able to pay $35 fee to access the class this Sunday?
How cool. And on the cusp of founder Deborah Szekely's 103rd birthday!