Meet The Founder Of Functional Fueling®
Lauren is a nationally recognized nutrition expert specializing in hormone, thyroid, and metabolic health. She's a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Board-Certified Sports Dietitian, trained in functional endocrinology and immunology, and a podcast host and published nutrition researcher with over ten years of clinical experience. She’s the author of The Thyroid Breakthrough: An Active Woman’s Guide to Feeling Better When You’ve Tried Everything.
Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD
Lauren's credentials:
- Bachelor's Degree in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics with a minor in combined sciences
- Master's Degree in Nutrition Sciences, Integrative Nutrition
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionist through the Commission on Dietetic Registration
- Board Certified in Sports Dietetics and Functional Endocrinology
- Internationally Certified Practitioner in Micro-immunotherapy
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Functional endocrinology, women's hormones, integrative fertility, integrative sports nutrition, environmental toxins, advanced blood chemistry
University of California Los Angeles (teams, sports medicine, and research), Private Physician's Medical Associates concierge medicine, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (lecturer), Texas Tech University football (nutrition director), USA Swimming (world championships dietitian), Institute of Lifestyle, Family and Preventive Medicine (dietetic internship)
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Advanced education specialization in:
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Hi, I'm Lauren!
I'm a functional medicine registered dietitian, board certified in sports dietetics and functional endocrinology, and I've spent the last decade helping people with endocrine, thyroid, and autoimmune conditions understand what's actually draining their capacity and resolve their symptoms for good.
Over the years I've guided thousands of people who felt dismissed, overwhelmed, or stuck cycling through protocol after protocol that never quite worked. I've been in their shoes. Before I became the practitioner, I was the patient navigating thyroid issues and hormonal dysfunction with no clear answers, and no one asking whether my body was ready to respond to what I was trying next.
That's why I built my practice around one core promise: find what's draining you first, then build the capacity to heal, in the order your body can actually handle. I personally oversee the clinical framework behind every protocol we recommend, and you'll have access to that framework plus a highly trained clinical team I've mentored and developed extensively. Every clinician on my team is trained directly in my functional endocrinology, sports medicine, and Energy Leaks methodology, and we collaborate closely on every case so you get the same depth, insight, and individualized strategy I'm known for.
We can't wait to support you, guide you, and help you feel at home in your body again.
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Meet My Clinical Team
Bachelor's Degree in Biology from UC Berkeley. Master's Degree in Nutrition from the University of Southern California. Functional medicine and endocrinology trained Registered Dietitian.
Romana Brennan, MS, RD
Master's Degree in Nutrition from the University of Southern California. Functional medicine and endocrinology trained Registered Dietitian.
Elisa Baer, MS, RD
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"My collaboration with Functional Fueling® over the years has proven very helpful in allowing me to provide the best care for my patients. Their knowledge of nutrition and ability to clearly communicate will help you in your journey to optimal health."
- Dr. James M. Weiss, MD
Co-Founder of Private Physician's Medical Associates and voted Top OC Doctor for 10 years in a row
Physician endorsement
Dr. James M. Weiss, MD
The Functional Fueling® Difference
Lasting change starts with understanding why your body is adapting the way it is, then rebuilding its capacity before asking it to do more. That belief shapes every part of how we work with you.
- Efficient, Strategic Root-Cause Clarity: We identify your Energy Leaks, the nutrient, immune, toxic, and exercise-related drains on your capacity, efficiently and strategically, so you understand what actually matters before cycling through more protocols.
- Deep Clinical Training, Integrated Thoughtfully: Our work is informed by both conventional medical science and advanced functional medicine education, bridging evidence-based practice with a systems-level understanding of how your body adapts.
- Whole-Person, Systems-Based Care: We consider how physiology, stress, movement, nutrition, and mindset interact, because an Energy Leak in one system pulls capacity from every other system it touches.
- Care Designed Around Your Real Life: Recommendations are phased around your lifestyle, capacity, and season of life, so they're realistic enough to actually sustain.
- Specialized Expertise in Complex Cases: We bring a blend of functional medicine, endocrinology, and human performance training, which lets us work effectively with active individuals and layered hormone, thyroid, metabolic, or immune patterns.
- Direct, Intentional Access to Your Care Team: You'll get thoughtful, responsive communication through secure messaging and email, so you always feel heard and supported.
- Clear, Grounded Guidance: Our style translates complex body signals into a clear plan of action: calm, honest, and precise.
- Limited Enrollment by Design: We intentionally work with a small number of patients at a time, so every case gets the depth, continuity, and integrity of care it deserves.
What makes our approach different:
01 | Holistic Approach
We treat the body as one connected system, because a leak in one area, whether it's nutrient depletion, immune activation, toxic burden, or exercise stress, pulls capacity from everywhere else. Our program is built around your unique bio-individuality and addresses what's actually driving your symptoms, tailored to your specific needs.
02 | Integrative and Functional Medicine Expertise
Our team combines the principles of functional medicine with therapeutic nutrition. We look at your health history, genetics, lifestyle, and environment together to understand where your capacity is being drained, then use that picture to guide your care.
03 | Root Cause Testing
We use advanced lab testing to find your Energy Leaks and personalize your healing path. Testing helps us understand which systems, nutrient, immune, toxic, or exercise-related, are pulling capacity away from your thyroid, hormones, and metabolism. We recommend and order testing based on your unique picture, then combine those results with a thorough assessment to build a truly personalized plan.
04 | Nourishment as Medicine
Food is medicine, and it's often the first lever for rebuilding capacity. Our program uses personalized nutrition and supplement plans built around your specific needs, with the resources to fit your lifestyle along the way.
05 | Targeted Supplementation
The right supplementation rebuilds capacity in the right order, filling gaps diet alone can't close. After your assessment and lab testing, we design a customized, medical-grade protocol phased to what your body needs at each stage, some pieces lasting a few weeks, others a few months. By the time we finish working together, you'll be down to just a few foundational supplements for long-term support.
06 | Lifestyle Optimization
Capacity comes from more than nutrition. Our program also addresses sleep, stress, exercise, and environmental exposure, three of the drains we look for in your Energy Leaks assessment, and we'll teach you how to build these practices into your life in a way that still feels enjoyable. Our approach is functional: adaptable and built to last.
Have Questions Before You Apply?
If you're not sure whether our program is the right fit, or you just want to ask a question first, reach out. We're happy to help you figure out the right next step.
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