In the summer of 2018, we established contact with the head of the National Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetology (NEDU) in Ľubochňa. He was very interested in the presented results of the patients who had undergone the NFI protocol until then. Therefore, we started to prepare the trial inclusion of the first patients on the NFI protocol directly in the NEDU canteen. The educational dietitian Mrs. Maria Štefáková reviewed and approved the NFI protocol. The skilful Mr. Cook gave the individual foods the form of tasty meals.
Finally, after lengthy administrative and logistical preparations, we introduced the NFI protocol (then still called the NFI diet) to the first patients. This was in January 2019.
These are shots from the first lunch. The patients were quite surprised by the size of the portions. Suddenly, the counting of carbohydrate units fell away and they could scoop as much as they wanted from the presented bowl. They prepared the meals for the patients in a really tasty way.
During the 7 days of following the NFI protocol, each of the patients lost a few kilos, some more, some less as they all followed the same protocol. Some of them already started to reduce their antidiabetic treatment during this first week.
After discharge from the NEDU Ľubochňa and return to home environment, we worked with these patients individually. It was excellent that most of them found support from their family and followed the NFI protocol (NFI diet) to a successful end. Of the more problematic cases, one gentleman had a problem with coffee drinking where even our mandated schedule of coffee days was not enough for him and the NFI protocol was very prolonged for him, but he too eventually worked his way off the medication. One lady who achieved a 4kg weight loss and reduction in treatment while following the NFI diet in NEDU, unfortunately did not find family support after coming home despite the result achieved and did not continue with the NFI protocol.
While following the NFI protocol in the home setting, patients interacted with their assigned NEDU inpatient diabetologists and attended regularly scheduled follow-up appointments.
We would like to say a special thank you to the two patients who agreed to have their NFI story videotaped. Mr. Vlasto from Poprad, who managed to get off the antidiabetic treatment completely, and Mrs. Janka, who significantly reduced the treatment but due to low production of her own insulin she was not able to get off it completely. Thank you and we hope you will be an inspiration to many.
31 May 2029 Doc. MUDr. Emil Martinka, PhD. primary of the Diabetology Department of NEDU, lectured at the Diabetes Days in the Tatras about the first experience with Natural Food Interactions (NFI) diet in the NEDU Lubochňa project. One year later, at the XXXth Diabetology Days (11.09.2020), Mr. Primary presented the eatNFI Study – protocol and evaluation of the first results on a cohort of more than 100 patients.
From October 2020 Mgr. Zuzana Plevová lectures to diabetic patients in NEDU Ľubochňa every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The lectures are held in the educational room on the ground floor of the building of the Diabetes Institute. They can be attended by both inpatients and day patients. The lecture lasts until 11:15 am. After the lecture, patients interested in NFI still remain for a personal consultation.
After lengthy preparations, the canteen at NEDU also started catering according to the NFI protocol. Since the kitchen there does not normally order ingredients such as tofu, sweet potatoes, eggplant, oyster mushrooms, etc., we need you to sign up for the NFI protocol meals ahead of time, no later than 12:00 noon on Wednesday, so that you can start your weekly meals from Friday morning.
Try to sign up for NFI meals prior to admission to the NEDU, or report this to your assigned inpatient diabetes specialist upon admission. The NFI menu in the NEDU can be viewed on our website: menus.
Doc. MUDr. Emil Martinka, PhD. primary of the Diabetology Department of NEDU Ľubochňa
Finally, please watch a short video with NEDU Chief Doc. Emil Martinka, PhD., which we filmed in the summer of 2022 on the occasion of the publication of our first book “Diet to Health”.
Video Transcript:
00:01 – Diet and proper nutrition are essential and a requirement for the proper management of the patient with diabetes melitus.
00:08 – Among the recommended and generally accepted diets for diabetes are the so-called plant-based diets, which are diets based on plant food sources, and among these diets is the so-called NFI.
00:25 – This is the fourth year we have been working with this type of catering in our institute and we have had very good experiences. Many of our patients who have undergone a three to six month course of treatment with this diet have had remarkable results.
00:44 – In many we have achieved weight loss of more than 30 – 40 kg and in many there has been such a significant improvement in the compensation of diabetes melitus that we have been able to reduce or even completely discontinue diabetes melitus medications in some. And the same with blood pressure and blood fats.
01:06 – Of course, the ideal is if a patient who has completed the NFI protocol does not go back to the original diet. Therefore, we recommend that patients really persevere with this diet or at least resemble as much as possible the diet they had during the NFI protocol, even after it is finished.
— Prečo NFI? —
