Dana M. Elia, DCN, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND is an integrative and functional nutrition doctor and a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist with over 25 years of clinical experience. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Elia relocated to Lancaster, PA in 2001 where she is the owner of Fusion Integrative Health and Wellness, LLC which was honored with 2019 Best of Lancaster Award for the nutritionist category. An active member of her community, Dr. Elia serves on the executive committee of Dietitians in Integrative and Function Medicine (DIFM) where she holds the Past Chair position and previously served as Chair, Chair-Elect, Treasurer, and Member Services Chair. Dr. Elia previously served on the executive committees for the Lancaster Area Celiac Support group and the Lancaster Chapter of the American Holistic Nurses Association. As a recognized leader in integrative and functional nutrition, Dr. Elia has provided content reviews for projects such as the 5th edition of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, regularly speaks to both lay and professional audiences, is an IFNA support team member, and has been featured in or authored numerous articles for Natural Awakenings Magazine and LNP. Dr. Elia’s fervor and dedication for the power within the food as medicine approach, stems from her own personal journey with autoimmune disease and a rare form of sarcoma. As a survivor and warrior for rare disease advocacy, in 2017 Dr. Elia was chosen as a 1 of 4 survivors for featured videos with the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University. With a passion for ongoing education and a drive to always provide her patients with the best level of care, Dr. Elia earned her doctorate in clinical functional nutrition (DCN) through Maryland University of Integrative Health where in 2019 she was awarded the Student Research Poster Award. Dr. Elia enjoys writing about diet and nutrition and sees the process as a means to help people identify the underlying root causes of the barriers preventing them from optimal wellness. She is also the author of The Stem Cell Activation Diet and the upcoming 2021 book entitled The Sugar Detox Diet for 50+. In her free time, she loves hiking, camping at the Delaware seashore, traveling with her husband James, scuba diving, or going on an adventure with her rescued lab, Champ.
