If you’re going to try opening a bar with a unique concept, Folkestone is certainly the place to do that. It is a town full of innovation and new ideas. So, when I heard about the new live bacteria bar opening in Tontine street, I was intrigued, but not surprised. We are lucky enough to live in a town that lives on the cutting edge. Folkestone is home to the world’s first multi-storey skatepark, for example. So, of course, it is also home to smart wellness bar, Neuron, the brainchild of Dr. Julia Jones.
Neuron: Smart Wellness Made Easy
Dr. Julia Jones, a.k.a. Dr. Rock, is the author of Neuron: Smart Wellness Made Easy. The book entered the Amazon Bestseller list after she appeared on Steph McGovern’s Channel 4 show, Steph’s Packed Lunch. In the book, Julia draws attention to the shortcomings of previous diet and fitness approaches. She then details how her 12-month experiment, using only simple bio-hacking techniques, transformed her health. Julia is in her fifties, but used these techniques to return to the same weight she was in her twenties.
The first book in her Smart Wellness Health Trilogy is titled The Music Diet. In it, she explains how to use music as a bio-hack for wellness. Her latest book, F-Bomb, was released in 2022. It charts 6 million years of health evolution and simplifies the latest longevity science to show how we can live longer and healthier lives.
Julia has a deep connection to Folkestone and the surrounding areas. She first moved to Folkestone in 1993 and has been involved in various projects, including setting up the Hythe Imperial health club, which was pivotal in the hotel’s success. She also launched the Folkestone Music Town project back in 2017, leading to Folkestone being announced as the first official music town in Britain in 2019.
Neuron: A space for the community
Julia hosts regular events and educational talks at Neuron. Be sure to visit the Neuron website to sign up for the newsletter and follow Neuron on social media to keep up to date on these. Aside from this, the bar is a space for anyone to come along to hang out and relax. It has various designated areas, each relating to one or more of the Smart Wellness Wheel techniques Julia teaches in her books and courses.
Board games, books and musical instruments are dotted around the space for people to use. And there are dedicated work spaces with free WiFi and a standing desk for when you are working from home and need a change of scenery.
The bar
Neuron serves a selection of live bacteria drinks. These improve gut health by repopulating your digestive system with a diverse range of bacteria species. According to Julia, our modern lifestyle and processed food culture have wreaked havoc inside us and our gut bacteria have suffered as a result. At Neuron, you can enjoy live bacteria Kombucha in all different flavours, even CBD infused. I had a Coconut Water Kefir which was delicious. There are vegetable juices, including sauerkraut and kimchi, and things like turmeric or ginger shots to boost immunity.
Neuron is also working in partnership with local veggie restaurant Dr Legumes, to provide a range of “Smart Sushi”.
A room for smart meditation
If meditation is your thing, Neuron is where you need to go to take it up a level. Here, they use smart technology to boost the effectiveness of your meditation. You are provided with a BrainTap Headset that plays a guided meditation. The headset uses light pulses and sound to deepen your meditative state. Over time, you can train your brain to reduce stress, get better sleep and increase performance. Your heart rate variability is also monitored in real time, indicating how your nervous system is responding.
Carol, the A.I. exercise bike
At Neuron, you can even get in your workout for the day. Carol, the A.I. exercise bike is a next generation fitness machine, and it blew my mind. After entering your vitals, Carol talks you through some guided imagery as you slowly pedal, mimicking a relaxing walk through a prehistoric jungle. She has you breathe in a specific pattern to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and digest” mode.
After a few minutes, a sabre-toothed tiger is on your tail, and 20 seconds of ultra high intensity sprint cycling ensues to escape from it. This activates your “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system, initiating a cascade of hormonal responses. It mirrors how our prehistoric ancestors used their bodies, as opposed to the more unnatural forms of exercises we have today.
The upshot of this is that after a couple of 20 second bursts, and the guided breathwork in between, you have put your body through the equivalent of a moderate intensity, 45 minute cycle. I can vouch for its effectiveness. I had to lay on the floor for an embarrassing length of time to recover.
Carol monitors your heart rate throughout, and you can see how you did on the results screen. Regulars who sign up to a Neuron Membership can use a login to track their progress over time.
Tests for gut health and biological age
If you want to know more about the state of your health, Neuron offers a test for gut health, which shows you your current gut function status. The report also gives you some simple suggestions showing how to improve and maintain it. You can also purchase a test that reveals your biological age including the age of your immune system. Test kits are available at Neuron and on the Neuron website.
Looking after your health
Whilst we at Folkestone Foodies mainly focus our attention on good food and drink in the town, there is most definitely a place for Neuron too. Anyone who wants to eat out regularly and enjoy life also needs to look after their health. It’s great to indulge now and then, but balancing it out with healthy habits can make all the difference. So having a place like Neuron on your doorstep can only be a good thing.
Interested in learning more? You can purchase Julia’s books here:
The Music Diet: The Rock & Roll Route To A Healthier, Longer Life
Neuron: Smart Wellness Made Easy
F-Bomb: Longevity Made Easy
We can also offer you an exclusive discount code for 10% off any of Julia’s courses on the Neuron website. Just use the code Foodie10 at the checkout.
