Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alyssa Zielke. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alyssa, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding my purpose in functional medicine and root-cause healing began with a diagnosis. I’ve always been drawn to the medical field. From a young age, I was fascinated by the human body and felt a deep calling to care for and help others. I earned my undergraduate degree in Athletic Training but quickly realized I wanted to do more for people. That’s when I discovered the role of a Physician Assistant.
In the often confusing and stressful medical system, I loved being a source of clarity for patients. I wanted to offer not just answers, but hope, tangible plans, and a renewed sense of empowerment. But it wasn’t until I became a mother that my path shifted in a profound way.
My first child, my daughter, was born with a severe congenital heart defect. The prognosis was uncertain, and her specific condition was both rare and complex. By the grace of God, she was stable enough at birth to come home and grow. But at just four months old, she underwent her first open-heart surgery. Over the next three years, she endured multiple surgeries, ultimately ending up at Stanford for an over 13 hour open heart surgery.
It was during these years, living moment to moment, often in fear and uncertainty, constantly in prayer, that I feel my purpose in functional medicine began to take shape. During that challenging time, one question kept coming to mind: How can I best support her body to heal?
That question led me deep into the world of functional medicine. I discovered an entirely different approach to health, where healing isn’t limited to prescriptions and follow-up visits. It is built day by day through intentional, supportive choices. I found a world where the body is seen as resilient, capable of healing, and worthy of daily care. That is where my passion began, in the intersection of deep personal experience and the science of true, root-cause healing.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a board-certified Physician Assistant and Certified Functional Nutrition Practitioner, and I own a boutique virtual functional medicine practice focused on helping driven women achieve sustainable fat loss by first uncovering and addressing their metabolic obstacles. My work is rooted in the philosophy of “testing, not guessing.” I use advanced functional testing such as comprehensive blood work, stool analysis, and mineral and hormone testing to create individualized protocols that go far beyond the surface-level approach of eat less, move more.
What makes this work exciting for me is that it gives women real answers. Many of my clients come to me doing all the right things–eating clean, exercising, managing stress–but they’re still not seeing results. Often, the missing link is hidden in their data: poor gut health, insulin resistance, mineral imbalances, or hormone dysfunction. When we uncover that and address it at the root, it opens the door to true healing, energy, and confidence.
My approach is also unique because I combine science-backed protocols with brain retraining tools. Many of my clients have developed unhelpful thought patterns or nervous system responses from years of trying and not getting results. I incorporate neuroplasticity and cognitive behavioral tools to help rewire those patterns and support lasting change.
Right now, I’m especially excited about the personalized programs I’m developing that integrate metabolic testing with cycle-based nutrition and nervous system regulation. I’m also continuing to support clients with targeted protocols for issues like insulin resistance, weight loss resistance, H. pylori, and gut dysbiosis.
At the heart of everything I do is the belief that women deserve to feel strong, confident, and in control of their health; not confused, stuck, or overlooked. My brand is all about clarity, compassion, and evidence-based action, and it’s an honor to walk alongside women as they reclaim their vitality and discover what’s possible for them.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience – born out of personal hardship. Walking through my daughter’s medical journey taught me how to keep showing up, even when I was exhausted or afraid. It’s what completely shifted my husband and my lifestyle when it came to the food we eat and how we take care of our own bodies alongside hers. That same resilience carried into my professional life. Whether I was studying late into the night, building a practice from the ground up, or holding space for clients facing tough health challenges, the ability to keep moving forward, one step at a time, was everything. For anyone early in their journey, resilience is built by doing hard things on purpose. Stay in the discomfort, trust the process, and keep coming back to your “why.”
Curiosity – has fueled my growth. In both conventional medicine and functional medicine, it’s easy to fall into protocol-driven thinking. But true healing requires asking better questions. Why is this symptom happening? What’s underneath that lab result? How can we support this person as a whole? Staying curious pushed me to seek out deeper education, explore root causes, and build a more thoughtful approach to care. My advice: don’t settle for surface answers. Keep learning. Ask questions. Read broadly and think critically.
Compassionate leadership – has shaped how I connect with clients, lead my business, and stay grounded in service. People don’t just need information; they need empathy, belief, and encouragement. The best leaders I know are deeply human. They listen well, communicate clearly, and create safety. If you’re starting out, remember that how you make people feel matters. You don’t have to know everything. You just have to show up with integrity, humility, and a heart for helping.
These three things: resilience, curiosity, and compassion – are not innate talents. They are choices you make, over and over again. And when you commit to developing them, they will not only shape your career but also the lives you touch along the way.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes, I am absolutely open to collaboration and partnership. I’m especially looking to partner with other healthcare providers such as physical therapists, chiropractors, and integrative practices who want to offer functional medicine testing and root-cause approaches to their clients but may not have the time, training, or infrastructure to do so themselves.
By partnering together, we can expand the level of care clients receive and support them more holistically through personalized lab testing, data-driven protocols, and strategic lifestyle and nutrition guidance. Whether it is integrating functional blood work, gut testing, hormone analysis, or mineral evaluations, I can serve as an extension of your care team and help translate complex data into clear action plans.
If you’re a provider who is passionate about whole-person care and you’re looking for a trusted, collaborative resource to bring deeper support to your clients, I’d love to connect. You can reach me directly at info@renewedvitalityll.com or find more information about partnership opportunities at www.renewedvitalityllc.com.
Let’s make functional medicine more accessible, personalized, and powerful together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.renewedvitalityllc.com
- Instagram: @alyssazielke_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renewedvitalityllc/
Image Credits
Megume; ReFrame
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
