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A Slovakian construction manager reversed his type 2 diabetes after following a plant-based diet – and is now opening a vegan restaurant.
Vlasto Balaz, who owns several construction businesses, achieved remission from the illness – which he suffered from for eight years – after following the Natural Food Interaction (NFI) diet, a protocol which was recently trialed at a National Institute in Slovakia.
According to Balaz, in addition to reversing his diabetes, after following the diet for 13 weeks, he lost 24kg – relieving pain in his legs and feet. His blood pressure dropped and his heart rate decreased to a healthy 62 beats per minute.
Natural Food Interaction diet
The NFI diet was founded by David Hickman and Zuzana Plevova. It is a whole food, plant-based approach that goes one step further, by mixing and matching different plant foods in combinations that are tailored to an individual.
Hickman and Plevova have had impressive results with the diet in Europe, with a 97.2 percent type 2 diabetes remission rate in patients that have completed the protocol.
The scientists approached Dr. Emil Martinka MD, Ph.D. – an acclaimed European diabetes researcher in Slovakia – who jumped at the opportunity to conduct a clinical trial.
“I am really excited that the NFI diet was introduced,” Dr. Martinka told Plant Based News after the study had started. “I am convinced that it will bring many benefits to our patients.”
Diabetes remission
These results were experienced by Vlasto Balaz – with life-changing consequences.
“Having now achieved remission from type 2 diabetes using the NFI diet and in only 13 weeks. I have decided to try and help others,” Balaz told PBN.
“This has lead me to opening my first NFI approved restaurant in Slovakia! I feel genuinely happy I can not even tell you the change this has made to my life!”
NFI Founder Hickman told PBN about the moment Balaz was clinically confirmed in remission: “He was given four pieces of white bread, tofu and tomatoes totaling 75g of sugar and he managed to fly through the meal test within two hours. Honestly, we were not surprised having seen his resting glucose before meals and how he had positively responded to the NFI diet. He managed to lose over 50 percent of his visceral fat and today he has a HbA1c of 4.9 percent when this January he had just under 10 percent!””
Results from the Slovakian trial will be published at the Slovakian National Diabetes and Endocrinology Conference at the end of May according to the founders.
Are the meal plans available to the public?
You can find out more about the NFI diet here, including testimonials. The public can purchase NFI meal plans here.
