Beat PCOS – IntelliScience

AltLife’s IntelliScience approach is designed to restore your
health by acting on the root causes that are impacting your
body’s ability to function healthily

The actions & medicines we take for PCOS give us a sense that we are in control. However, these interventions only manage the symptoms or lessen the velocity of damage. They do not address the root cause – the underlying metabolic imbalance or lack of cellular health or the weakened defence mechanisms. And hence, there is no way that the PCOS gets better or potentially cured. In fact, over time the underlying conditions get worse and impact our health and the way we lead our lives.

At LiveAltlife, we take a three-pronged approach to address the root causes of PCOS with the following goals:

  1. Reduce metabolic imbalance and change hormonal resistance to sensitivity
  2. Improve cellular health and hence optimize cellular function
  3. Strengthen the defence mechanisms of the body to ensure reduced chances of any disease

Our programs integrate these goals with every aspect of your daily life that impacts your PCOS.

Food & Nutrition

We nourish both body and mind to establish harmony. Powered by our AI based platform – ANA (AltLife NutriSmart AI) –
our meals are designed to ensure:

  • Inclusion of the right mix of macro & micro nutrients based on the AltLife Nutrition Approach (LCHF focus) to lower the insulin needed by the body

  • Inclusion of prebiotics and probiotics to strengthen our gut microbiome

  • Inclusion of natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients and adaptogens to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation

  • Inclusion of completely organic, unprocessed & toxin-free ingredients to ensure no harmful chemicals and disguised High Fructose Corn Syrup and other harmful additives enter your system

  • Inclusion of the right amount of all  essential nutrients to ensure good health and satisfy the respective Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)

The program structure ensures that you eat at the right time of the day in sync with your body’s circadian rhythm and ensure effective cellular health maintenance.

Physical Fitness

Scientifically combined routines like aerobic training,
strength training, flexibility training, agility training,
plyometric, yoga along with meditation to ensure:

Primary imbalances like insulin resistance, increased HbA1c levels, impaired glucose homeostasis, reduced muscle mass, increased fat mass, poor lipid profile, hypertension & increased inflammatory parameters are addressed.

Secondary imbalances like loss of flexibility, balance, strength, altered pain sensations especially in the lower limbs, initiation of degenerative arthritis because of extra weight and poor metabolism, are addressed.

Our coaches and trainers are empanelled with a pedagogy of:

  • Strength and conditioning science

  • Deep understanding of human body movements, biomechanics, anatomy and exercise

  • First aid emergency protocols

  • Mentoring an individual even in a group

All our exercise and yoga routines are well-researched and designed by professionals from the fields of exercise physiology, physiotherapy, yoga and meditation along with inputs from specialist doctors.

Mental Fitness

In addition to physical health, mental health also is a key component
of our solution. While we address any stress you face through our meditation focus, we also ensure
that every aspect of our solution avoids adding any additional stress on your daily routine.

  • Our curated meditation content relaxes your mind & enables good quality of sleep

  • Our programs are designed for proactive and reactive stress management

  • Seamless blending into your routine

  • Our expert counsellors help you proactively to identify the source of stress in your life and educate you to eliminate them effectively

All our program structures ensure that you get the right amount of sleep in sync with your body’s circadian rhythm.

Behavioural Science

We seamlessly track all the changes and progress
that your body undergoes in a transparent method –
with regular diagnostics and a highly intuitive app.

Any lifestyle solution is only as effective as it is sustainable. To drive adoption and deliver lasting changes to your lifestyle, every solution component has been thoughtfully reinforced with concepts from behavioural science.

Regular tracking and logging of activities is one such example. Observing continuous changes to your body creates a virtuous cycle of adherence and better outcomes.

Our regular diagnostic tests help you keep track of where you need to improve. At the same time, our early warning indicators help you proactively course correct.

EXPLORE PROGRAMS

PCOS Decoded

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand
the root causes of PCOS and the AltLife approach to beat PCOS.

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition of multiple cysts forming in the ovary. The following are some of the characteristic signs and symptoms of PCOS:

  • Polycystic ovaries (as confirmed by an ultrasound scan)
  • Hyperandrogenemia manifested as one or more of Acne, Hirsutism (excess hair), Male pattern balding, lowered tone of voice
  • Menstrual irregularity and no periods in some cases
  • Central obesity, Acanthosis nigricans (A skin condition characterized by dark, velvety patches in body folds and creases)

PCOS has implications for pre-menopausal women and leads to complications before and post-menopause. Anovulatory cycles, Infertility, pregnancy complications, fetal concerns, large cysts, follicular carcinoma, impact to sleep and mood are all possible. In addition, a person with PCOS is at a high risk of complications that include: Type 2 Diabetes, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease, Obesity, Cardiovascular risks, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Depression and anxiety, potentially Cancer amongst others.

There are many pathways to PCOS- Insulin resistant driven, Inflammation driven, Pill driven, Inherited and Hidden. Insulin Resistance & Inflammation driven cases are significantly rising. Irrespective of the pathway, the manifestations are typically hormonal imbalances with higher Testosterone, LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and lower SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin), FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone). Higher levels of Insulin and Insulin Resistance are also typically seen.

Absolutely, in most cases! Currently, prevalent treatment choices are typically symptomatic in nature and do not address the underlying root cause nor drive improvements. The medicines & interventions that folks suffering from PCOS are prescribed artificially try to manage the hormonal imbalances. To address the root cause, the underlying imbalances must be rebalanced. The insulin levels must naturally be brought down, the sensitivity of insulin must organically be improved. This can only be done through lifestyle modifications. And if this is done, and sustained over a period of time, you will be addressing the root cause of PCOS and potentially curing or reversing it.

The goal of any lifestyle modifications to improve one’s PCOS condition is primarily to regulate the functioning of some key hormones (primarily Insulin and to an extent Cortisol and Leptin). In addition, the goal would be to reduce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Choices of what we eat, when we eat, how frequently we eat – all contribute to our Insulin behaviour. In addition, the right nutrition also impacts the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in our body. Our fitness levels determine the efficiency of glucose usage. Our muscle mass determines the storage available for glycogen. Any stress we deal with indirectly increases the levels of Insulin. Our sleep quality and quantity determine the effectiveness of our body’s cellular health maintenance. Our actions across all these vectors must be deliberately changed to drive the appropriate resolution of the underlying root causes.

Our body likes to be in a state of equilibrium, ensuring good health, called Homeostasis. Our central nervous system (Brain and Spine) constantly gets inputs from different parts of the body and responds with direction on the right action to take.

BALANCED METABOLIC PROCESSES

  • Maintenance of blood sugar levels at the appropriate levels (counterbalance between insulin & glucagon)
  • Regulating how much we eat to ensure we only consume adequate levels of food (leptin feedback loop)
  • Cleansing the metabolic by-products that impact health, if present (arterial plaque, beta amyloid deposits in the brain)
  • Well-functioning Thyroid gland that plays a role in optimum metabolism

OPTIMUM CELLULAR HEALTH & FUNCTION

  • Healthy cellular membranes (membranes of the cell, nucleus, & mitochondria)
  • Optimizing for Mitochondrial health & function (energy generation process)
  • Controlling chronic inflammation and managing oxidative stress (Reactive Oxygen Species caused damage)
  • Recycling old/weak cells and generation of new cells (autophagy)
  • Measuring cellular function/efficiency and if function is reducing beyond an extent, invoking cell suicide (apoptosis)

STRONG DEFENCE CAPABILITY

  • Efficient & effective immune system that helps the body deal with harmful pathogens (viruses, bacteria) and toxins
  • Stem cell availability to help with repair of key organs in case of damage
  • Preserving DNA sanctity and reduction in loss of fidelity and function in newer cells
  • Presence of the beneficial bacterial species in our gut (gut microbiome)
  • Ensuring the right levels of circulatory system capability (angiogenesis)

Every day we make choices – some bad and some good. However, over the years when we keep making bad choices, we end up challenging our body’s ability in ensuring good health. While the body does its best to ensure issues are resolved, over the years these issues pile up and affect our three vital functions which in turn manifest as various lifestyle conditions:

1. Imbalance in the Metabolic Processes

Over time, due to the wrong food choices we made, we start producing more glucose than we require. Glucose production is directly linked to what we eat and the extent of stress we face. Our body starts producing more and more insulin – the glucose regulator, to take care of the excess glucose. A constant excess production of insulin in the body leads to a decrease in sensitivity towards insulin. This condition is called “Insulin Resistance (IR)”.

Insulin Resistance(IR) leads to the creation of a vicious cycle, where, to compensate for the loss in sensitivity, the body produces more insulin thereby further decreasing its efficiency in glucose regulation. Over time, this leads to a conversion of the extra glucose into fat which drives obesity. Another major factor in developing IR is the lack of adequate physical activity. Having more muscle mass helps in the absorption of excess glucose and hence arrests development of IR.

Our liver does the bulk of heavy lifting in processing the food we ingest and converting the extra glucose to fats. With more glucose getting converted to fats, the liver starts accumulating some of this fat and this leads to excess fat depositions in the liver. This condition is called ‘Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease’.

A combination of reduced flexibility of our vasculature and factors that increase the blood volume drives onset of high blood pressure. This gets impacted by obesity and in turn has an impact on cardio-vascular disease. Lack of adequate physical activity also impacts this condition.

Our lifestyle choices also lead to increases in the small/dense LDL & triglycerides, while the protective HDL in our blood reduces. In addition, lack of appropriate nutrients in our diet, results in increasing inflammation in the body by the reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are byproducts of our energy production cycle which react with the small/dense LDL and lead to arterial plaque. This over time increases our cardio-vascular risks.

While all this is happening our blood sugar could still be in control, but the metabolic imbalance would have already started. As this continues, the IR worsens, and our pancreas maxes out on the amount of Insulin it can produce. This is when we eventually get diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes due to the rising blood sugar levels.

Higher insulin resistance also impacts cleansing of the metabolic by-products – beta amyloid and tau protein in the brain. Over time, it impacts the nutrition of our neurons and leads to decline in our cognitive capabilities and could develop into Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Lack of adequate and quality sleep also impacts the cleansing of metabolic waste from our bodies.

Metabolic & hormonal imbalances including insulin resistance are also at play in the onset of PCOS.

2. Reduced Cellular Health & Function

Our cellular health and function depend a lot on the right mix of nutrients we consume. In the absence of the right nutrient mix, various building blocks of the cell and the human body do not function properly.

Our cell and mitochondrial membranes play a critical role in cellular health and function. These are bi-lipid membranes made of fat. In the absence of the right quantity and quality of fats and other nutrients, the membranes do not form properly and hence do not function at optimum levels.

Our DNA, genome and epigenome also play a critical role. In the absence of the right nutrients, as cells replicate, there is a loss in the fidelity and function of the epigenome. This eventually leads to an increased risk of losing the genome sanctity, giving rise to mutations, and hence to higher susceptibility to disease.

Our cellular health also has an indirect role in impacting our metabolism.

 3. Weakened Body Defense Mechanisms

Our immune system which forms the core of our defense mechanism, comprises various defense departments such as Macrophages, Natural Killer Cells, T Cells etc. It is critical in ensuring our body can fight against dangerous pathogens while also dealing with damaging toxins. It is imperative that we develop, nurture and maintain a high level of immunity to protect us against diseases and maintain good health. Lack of adequate nutrients impacts our immunity.

Stem cells play a critical role in re-building of the various cellular components. Without the right nutrition, our ability to maintain and nurture stem cells is compromised. This reduces our ability to fight diseases and repair damages.

Our body is a host to trillions of good bacteria. Most of these reside in our gut. The presence of the right diversity and density of gut bacteria plays a significant role in the quality of our metabolism and in ensuring a good emotional balance. However, without the right nutrients and with exposure to harmful toxins (includes antibiotics), this balance in our gut microbiome gets impacted, thereby affecting our metabolism.

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition of multiple cysts forming in the ovary. The following are some of the characteristic signs and symptoms of PCOS:

  • Polycystic ovaries (as confirmed by an ultrasound scan)
  • Hyperandrogenemia manifested as one or more of Acne, Hirsutism (excess hair), Male pattern balding, lowered tone of voice
  • Menstrual irregularity and no periods in some cases
  • Central obesity, Acanthosis nigricans (A skin condition characterized by dark, velvety patches in body folds and creases)

PCOS has implications for pre-menopausal women and leads to complications before and post-menopause. Anovulatory cycles, Infertility, pregnancy complications, fetal concerns, large cysts, follicular carcinoma, impact to sleep and mood are all possible. In addition, a person with PCOS is at a high risk of complications that include: Type 2 Diabetes, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver disease, Obesity, Cardiovascular risks, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Depression and anxiety, potentially Cancer amongst others.

There are many pathways to PCOS- Insulin resistant driven, Inflammation driven, Pill driven, Inherited and Hidden. Insulin Resistance & Inflammation driven cases are significantly rising. Irrespective of the pathway, the manifestations are typically hormonal imbalances with higher Testosterone, LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and lower SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin), FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone). Higher levels of Insulin and Insulin Resistance are also typically seen.

Absolutely, in most cases! Currently, prevalent treatment choices are typically symptomatic in nature and do not address the underlying root cause nor drive improvements. The medicines & interventions that folks suffering from PCOS are prescribed artificially try to manage the hormonal imbalances. To address the root cause, the underlying imbalances must be rebalanced. The insulin levels must naturally be brought down, the sensitivity of insulin must organically be improved. This can only be done through lifestyle modifications. And if this is done, and sustained over a period of time, you will be addressing the root cause of PCOS and potentially curing or reversing it.

The goal of any lifestyle modifications to improve one’s PCOS condition is primarily to regulate the functioning of some key hormones (primarily Insulin and to an extent Cortisol and Leptin). In addition, the goal would be to reduce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Choices of what we eat, when we eat, how frequently we eat – all contribute to our Insulin behaviour. In addition, the right nutrition also impacts the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in our body. Our fitness levels determine the efficiency of glucose usage. Our muscle mass determines the storage available for glycogen. Any stress we deal with indirectly increases the levels of Insulin. Our sleep quality and quantity determine the effectiveness of our body’s cellular health maintenance. Our actions across all these vectors must be deliberately changed to drive the appropriate resolution of the underlying root causes.

Our body likes to be in a state of equilibrium, ensuring good health, called Homeostasis. Our central nervous system (Brain and Spine) constantly gets inputs from different parts of the body and responds with direction on the right action to take.

BALANCED METABOLIC
PROCESSES

  • Maintenance of blood sugar levels at the appropriate levels (counterbalance between insulin & glucagon)
  • Regulating how much we eat to ensure we only consume adequate levels of food (leptin feedback loop)
  • Cleansing the metabolic by-products that impact health, if present (arterial plaque, beta amyloid deposits in the brain)
  • Well-functioning Thyroid gland that plays a role in optimum metabolism

OPTIMUM CELLULAR HEALTH
& FUNCTION

  • Healthy cellular membranes (membranes of the cell, nucleus, & mitochondria)
  • Optimizing for Mitochondrial health & function (energy generation process)
  • Controlling chronic inflammation and managing oxidative stress (Reactive Oxygen Species caused damage)
  • Recycling old/weak cells and generation of new cells (autophagy)
  • Measuring cellular function/efficiency and if function is reducing beyond an extent, invoking cell suicide (apoptosis)

STRONG DEFENCE
CAPABILITY

  • Efficient & effective immune system that helps the body deal with harmful pathogens (viruses, bacteria) and toxins
  • Stem cell availability to help with repair of key organs in case of damage
  • Preserving DNA sanctity and reduction in loss of fidelity and function in newer cells
  • Presence of the beneficial bacterial species in our gut (gut microbiome)
  • Ensuring the right levels of circulatory system capability (angiogenesis)

Every day we make choices – some bad and some good. However, over the years when we keep making bad choices, we end up challenging our body’s ability in ensuring good health. While the body does its best to ensure issues are resolved, over the years these issues pile up and affect our three vital functions which in turn manifest as various lifestyle conditions:

1. Imbalance in the Metabolic Processes

Over time, due to the wrong food choices we made, we start producing more glucose than we require. Glucose production is directly linked to what we eat and the extent of stress we face. Our body starts producing more and more insulin – the glucose regulator, to take care of the excess glucose. A constant excess production of insulin in the body leads to a decrease in sensitivity towards insulin. This condition is called “Insulin Resistance (IR)”.

Insulin Resistance(IR) leads to the creation of a vicious cycle, where, to compensate for the loss in sensitivity, the body produces more insulin thereby further decreasing its efficiency in glucose regulation. Over time, this leads to a conversion of the extra glucose into fat which drives obesity. Another major factor in developing IR is the lack of adequate physical activity. Having more muscle mass helps in the absorption of excess glucose and hence arrests development of IR.

Our liver does the bulk of heavy lifting in processing the food we ingest and converting the extra glucose to fats. With more glucose getting converted to fats, the liver starts accumulating some of this fat and this leads to excess fat depositions in the liver. This condition is called ‘Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease’.

A combination of reduced flexibility of our vasculature and factors that increase the blood volume drives onset of high blood pressure. This gets impacted by obesity and in turn has an impact on cardio-vascular disease. Lack of adequate physical activity also impacts this condition.

Our lifestyle choices also lead to increases in the small/dense LDL & triglycerides, while the protective HDL in our blood reduces. In addition, lack of appropriate nutrients in our diet, results in increasing inflammation in the body by the reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are byproducts of our energy production cycle which react with the small/dense LDL and lead to arterial plaque. This over time increases our cardio-vascular risks.

While all this is happening our blood sugar could still be in control, but the metabolic imbalance would have already started. As this continues, the IR worsens, and our pancreas maxes out on the amount of Insulin it can produce. This is when we eventually get diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes due to the rising blood sugar levels.

Higher insulin resistance also impacts cleansing of the metabolic by-products – beta amyloid and tau protein in the brain. Over time, it impacts the nutrition of our neurons and leads to decline in our cognitive capabilities and could develop into Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Lack of adequate and quality sleep also impacts the cleansing of metabolic waste from our bodies.

Metabolic & hormonal imbalances including insulin resistance are also at play in the onset of PCOS.

2. Reduced Cellular Health & Function

Our cellular health and function depend a lot on the right mix of nutrients we consume. In the absence of the right nutrient mix, various building blocks of the cell and the human body do not function properly.

Our cell and mitochondrial membranes play a critical role in cellular health and function. These are bi-lipid membranes made of fat. In the absence of the right quantity and quality of fats and other nutrients, the membranes do not form properly and hence do not function at optimum levels.

Our DNA, genome and epigenome also play a critical role. In the absence of the right nutrients, as cells replicate, there is a loss in the fidelity and function of the epigenome. This eventually leads to an increased risk of losing the genome sanctity, giving rise to mutations, and hence to higher susceptibility to disease.

Our cellular health also has an indirect role in impacting our metabolism.

 3. Weakened Body Defense Mechanisms

Our immune system which forms the core of our defense mechanism, comprises various defense departments such as Macrophages, Natural Killer Cells, T Cells etc. It is critical in ensuring our body can fight against dangerous pathogens while also dealing with damaging toxins. It is imperative that we develop, nurture and maintain a high level of immunity to protect us against diseases and maintain good health. Lack of adequate nutrients impacts our immunity.

Stem cells play a critical role in re-building of the various cellular components. Without the right nutrition, our ability to maintain and nurture stem cells is compromised. This reduces our ability to fight diseases and repair damages.

Our body is a host to trillions of good bacteria. Most of these reside in our gut. The presence of the right diversity and density of gut bacteria plays a significant role in the quality of our metabolism and in ensuring a good emotional balance. However, without the right nutrients and with exposure to harmful toxins (includes antibiotics), this balance in our gut microbiome gets impacted, thereby affecting our metabolism.