Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist, and Megan Ramos, a clinical researcher working alongside Fung, noticed a disturbing pattern back in the 2000s. “[We] went from seeing very few diabetic kidney disease patients to virtually everybody having diabetic kidney disease,” says Ramos. After spending a lot of time researching the root causes of type-2 diabetes, they realized that fasting, and particularly meal timing, was critical for treating and preventing it. Limiting meals to a specific window helps the body maintain sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood glucose. “[Fasting and paying attention to meal timing] can target insulin resistance, break the cycle of it, and get people to take back control of their health,” she says.
While helping treat diabetic patients, Ramos was 26 with terrible eating habits and had become obese and diabetic. She decided to try fasting under Fung’s supervision. “Within six months I reversed my [type-2] diabetes, fatty liver, and PCOS”, she says. “I lost over 60 pounds and I literally came back to life.” In 2012, Fung and Ramos started an in-person fasting clinic in Toronto called Intensive Dietary Management, with a small, 8-patient cohort. Their clinic received attention from all over the world, particularly from people in the US who needed their help. Fung and Ramos created an online program, and Ramos quickly found herself coaching online most days of the week.
I have clinically treated over 14,000 individuals in the last eight years through fasting. We’ve taken hundreds of people off of insulin. We’ve seen fatty liver disease reverse. We’ve seen PCOS symptoms go away. It’s pretty amazing. Megan Ramos, Co-founder of The Fasting Method
The Intensive Dietary Management program became The Fasting Method (TFM), which currently has two main offerings: one-on-one coaching and a self-guided online program. The former offers time with expert coaches who educate on the importance of fasting and meal timing for treating and preventing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Coaching is designed for those who would like more guidance and a custom fasting plan. The coaches help you implement personalized fasting and nutrition strategies and help you work through psychological issues such as emotional eating and negative self-image. The self-guided online program gives you more autonomy to sift through TFM’s resources and design a fasting plan of your own. “One of the unique things about TFM is that we are there, supporting you,” Ramos says. “We have weekly challenges and I am personally involved. We have live support groups and live Q&A’s.”
TFM has helped thousands of people get their health back, with impressive results. Based on data from their clinic, most people are able to stop using insulin within 6-8 weeks, and most are off of their oral diabetic and blood pressure medications within 6-12 months.
To further enhance their intermittent fasting program, TFM announced a partnership with LifeOmic to integrate the LIFE Fasting Tracker app with TMF’s online platform. This will help members track their fasts, weight, waist circumference, blood glucose, and ketones as they work through TFM’s weight loss program. They’ll also be able to join an exclusive Circle in the LIFE app to connect with other members and meet other fasters. “We’re trying to make TFM a place where we can help you maintain your commitment to yourself,” says Ramos. “The LIFE Fasting app further customizes our program by equipping people with the tools they need to measure their daily successes and share words of encouragement with others who are going through similar experiences.”
