FACTS

Evidence. Insight. Empowerment.

  • 27/02/2026 0 Comments
    True healing begins with the choices you make

    FlexHealth Academy community:

     

    No pill can prevent or treat disease alone.

     

    True healing begins with the life choices we make every day. No pill can prevent illness and treat root causes in isolation. Real, sustainable change comes from action and from nurturing the core connections that support health:

    • Real whole foods
    • Regular physical activity
    • Good sleep hygiene
    • Adequate sunlight
    • Laughter
    • Nature
    • Gratitude
    • Love
    • Peace

    At FlexHealth Academy, true healing starts with the choices we make together. No pill can replace the power of real food, movement, rest, sunlight and connection.

     

    Feel free to move: get fit, be fit, stay fit

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  • 27/02/2026 0 Comments
    Mushrooms & Disease Prevention

    Facts 
     
     
    Mushrooms  


    Research has shown that consuming just 45 grams of mushrooms daily can offer a profound protective benefits: a 35% lower risk of breast cancer in women and a 45% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease in both men and women. These effects are attributed to mushrooms unique composition of beta-glucans, antioxidants, and neuroprotective compounds. 
     
    Beta-glucans immune-modulating fibers 
    Antioxidants: ergothioneine and glutathione 
    Anti-inflammatory compounds. These bioactive components support cellular health, reduce oxidative stress, and help regulate inflammation — key mechanisms in cancer and neurodegeneration prevention. 
     
    Key scientific studies that serve as the source for these statistics: 


    1. Mushrooms and Breast Cancer Risk Reduction 
    Study: 

    Zhang, S., Sugawara, Y., Chen, S., et al. (2019). "Mushroom consumption and incident risk of prostate cancer in Japan: A pooled analysis of the Miyagi Cohort Study and the Ohsaki Cohort Study." International Journal of Cancer, 146(10), 2712–2720. 
    (Note: While this is often cited, the most direct breast cancer study is below.) 
    More Specific Reference (Breast Cancer): 
    Li, J., Zou, L., Chen, W., et al. (2019). "Dietary mushroom intake may reduce the risk of breast cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis of observational studies." PLOS ONE, 14(8), e0220194. 
     https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=101371/journal.pone.0220194 
    Finding: 
    Regular mushroom consumption (especially ~10 g/day or more) was associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk. The 35% figure aligns with pooled data from multiple observational studies. 
     
    2. Mushrooms and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Reduction 


    Study: 
    Feng, L., Cheah, I. K. M., Ng, M. M. X., et al. (2019). "The association between mushroom consumption and mild cognitive impairment: a community-based cross-sectional study in Singapore." Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 68(1), 197–203. 
     https://content.lopress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad180959 


    Finding: 
    Participants who consumed more than 2 portions (∼300 g/week, or ∼45 g/day) of mushrooms had a 43–52% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is often a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. This is frequently rounded to ~45% in public health communications. 
     
    Why Mushrooms? Key Mechanisms: 


    Mushrooms are rich in: 
    Ergothioneine: a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that crosses the blood-brain barrier. 
    Beta-glucans: support immune function and reduce inflammation. 
    Hericenones and erinacines: compounds found in lion’s mane mushroom that may stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF). 
     
    Note on Interpretation: 
    These studies show association, not causation. They suggest that people who regularly eat mushrooms have a lower risk of these diseases, likely due to mushrooms’ bioactive compounds and overall dietary patterns. 

     

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Reviews

Thanks for your nice reviews. They give me goosebumps. And yes, what I saw happening to participants every time, emotionalised me time and again when dropping off in Evian-les-Bains and at the same time it gave me a huge dose of energy. I then drove home again with a "yes, this is what I want. This is what I want to be able to do for others". My purpose of live!

If you are battling symptoms of burnout, for whatever reasons, and have the chance to free up one week of your life for a mental and physical reset, a week with Marijke Engelbrecht is highly recommended. Although she coaches groups, up to 10 people, in following the Intermittent Living lifestyle, a 1-on-1 week with Marijke is undoubtedly the best thing you can do. In one week, get your gut flora 'back to normal' through super healthy eating, self-cooking, cooking class and theory of what food does to your body to breathing exercises, cold and heat days, yoga, mindfulness, hiking, gym, outdoor-tracking, and so on. An intensive week, with incredible results, in which I was able to reap the rewards especially in the weeks that followed: losing weight permanently, less appetite for my old bad eating patterns, (so now only consuming really healthy food), lots of sports and exercise with pleasure, cold and warm days with breathing exercises, and perhaps most important of all; a stronger mind: good for many aspects of a hectic life.

And now keep it up, that's my goal!

Grateful for this special reset in my life.

 


- Anonymous

I came to Marijke with a number of health problems for which I could not find a solution and which I wanted to tackle naturally. Over the past two years, I attended consultations with her, during which she gave valuable advice on supplements and lifestyle. This advice has yielded significantly positive results, physically, mentally and physically. Many of my symptoms have diminished or even disappeared completely.

After a year of consultations and noticeable progress, I decided to do a retreat in France to further deepen my knowledge and give my body the ultimate boost. This turned out to be one of the best investments I ever made. It not only contributed to my own sustainable health, but also that of my family. The changes in our lifestyle do not feel like obligations, but a pleasure, given the visible results.

Marijke is incredibly knowledgeable and knows how to apply this in a practical and inspiring way. The retreat in Evian was not only an investment in my health, but also an incredibly valuable experience. I still use the knowledge and routines I gained there on a daily basis. The positive effects are not only noticeable for me, but also for the people around me.

I am incredibly grateful for everything Marijke has taught me and can recommend her consultations and retreats to anyone who is serious about improving their health!

 


- Eva S. (aged 44)

 I had the opportunity to experience an intermittent living week myself, and I still feel the impact today. The beautiful surroundings immediately invited me to slow down and let go — so beneficial to truly de-stress. I felt my body and mind calm down step by step, and I still carry that with me. Thank you, Marijke, for the gentleness, attention, and inspiration. 

 


- Van  R. 

In the jungle of retreats and wellness weeks, Marijke's Intermitting Living week is a breath of fresh air.

Not only will you be welcomed hospitably and pampered gastronomically, but you will also eat super healthy and experience what good food does to you.

In addition, it is a very instructive week focusing on nutrition movement and breathing, life changing!

The immense knowledge and wisdom shared by Marijke throughout the week make this trip an unforgettable experience, which I can definitely take forward in my daily life. It is an investment in yourself that is more than worth it.

I don't want anything else now that I know what kPNI and Intermitting living does for me.

And truly the week has flown by, with thanks for all the love, wisdom and care from Marijke Engelbrecht I have come back proud of myself.

How I have looked at myself, carried myself up the mountain along narrow steep paths to the bottom. Cold and warm, how we heard and saw and supported each other, cooked together, laughed, cried. And lots of information about this lifestyle to take care of yourself. Grateful.

My 5 days with Marijke were great, learned and experienced a lot of new things.

For example, we took lovely long walks in the beautiful countryside.

Eaten so delicious and healthy, sat in cold baths, in infrared sauna tent,

and much more, all to reset, it was a true experience and definitely

worth doing again.

One week of intermitted living in Bernex (on the French side of Geneva) with Marijke brought me a lot.

For 4 years I have been eating this way but I was struggling to cook really good food ánd healthy.

Especially with a man who is rather burgundy and sceptical of too many changes. After all, I do want to keep things cosy at home! So cooking in particular had my interest.

Well, in that respect alone, I learnt a huge amount. Just by doing it myself and seeing how the kitchen is laid out, what kind of products are in the drawers and cupboards and how nice it is to cook/eat super delicious food under experienced guidance with a lot of knowledge as well.

We eat significantly differently and better at home now. I understand so much more. Still beautiful.

I could experience the concept of 'hot' and 'cold' days first-hand. The theory on this was eye-opening and the difference between the blood and insulin values on the first and last day was huge. Super that this is possible in one week. And all in a relaxed, laid-back and friendly atmosphere. If you love nature, this week is fantastic. Long walks depending on what you can handle, and we were fortunately able to do some aan. A beautiful landscape with surprisingly beautiful views, and great weather too. Practically outside all day. What more could you want.

 

- Pleun