What does it take to step away from a system that manages symptoms and build a practice focused on helping people get to the root of what is going...
What does it take to step away from a system that manages symptoms and build a practice focused on helping people get to the root of what is going on?
In this episode of The Resilience Playbook, Cole Rodgers sits down with Dr. Amy Beard, a physician and functional medicine practitioner whose own health crisis changed the way she thinks about medicine, resilience, and personal responsibility.
Dr. Beard shares her journey from chronic childhood infections to IBS, neuropathy, muscle spasms, an MS diagnosis, and eventually losing most of her colon. After years of specialists and conventional answers that did not lead to healing, she discovered functional medicine and began asking different questions about gut health, toxins, inflammation, food, sleep, movement, and root causes.
Cole and Dr. Beard also discuss what she learned inside the traditional medical system, why she left the insurance model, what functional medicine actually looks like in practice, and why she believes patients need to take ownership of their health instead of outsourcing every decision.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Dr. Beard's personal health story and what changed her perspective
• Why symptom management often misses the root cause
• Gut health, inflammation, autoimmune issues, and chronic disease
• The difference between conventional medicine and functional medicine
• Why she moved toward a concierge and virtual care model
• Standing up during COVID and the professional cost of speaking out
• How food, sleep, sunlight, movement, and stress shape long-term health
• What people can do when they feel stuck, dismissed, or out of options
ABOUT DR. AMY BEARD
Dr. Amy Beard is a physician and functional medicine practitioner. Through her virtual practice, she helps patients and families look beyond symptoms and explore root causes, with a focus on gut health, autoimmune disease, lifestyle, and whole-person care.
ABOUT THE RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK
The Resilience Playbook is a long-form conversation series hosted by Cole Rodgers, featuring leaders, athletes, entrepreneurs, physicians, and high performers who have faced adversity and come out with something meaningful to share.
Medical note: This conversation is for educational purposes only and is not personal medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions.
Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, faith, leadership, family, health, and the moments that shape who we become.
– Amy Beard read more
Amy Beard
