What I treat › Gut health › Chronic constipation
GUT HEALTH · CONSTIPATION
Nutritionist for chronic constipation in Lisbon and online
If more fibre and water haven't fixed it, or you rely on laxatives to go, constipation usually has a cause beyond diet: slow motility, the nervous system, hormones, the thyroid or the microbiome.
Rita Soares · Functional nutritionist · 12 years, 2,000+ patients
Ordem dos Nutricionistas 2604N · IFM member · Online worldwide and in person in Lisbon
Does this sound like you?
If several of these are familiar, you're in the right place.
Fewer than three bowel movements a week
Hard or painful stools
Feeling of incomplete emptying
Straining
Bloating and heaviness
Relying on laxatives
Worse before your period
Worse when travelling or stressed
Why fibre alone doesn't fix it
Constipation is a motility problem more often than a fibre problem. These are the causes I look for.
The nervous system
Bowel movements need the body in rest-and-digest. Chronic stress keeps it in the opposite state.
Low magnesium
Magnesium draws water into the bowel and relaxes the gut muscle.
The wrong fibre
Too much of the wrong type can make bloating and constipation worse.
Microbiome and methane
Some bacteria produce methane, which slows transit.
Hormones and thyroid
An underactive thyroid, progesterone and perimenopause all slow the gut.
Pelvic floor
Sometimes the problem is getting stool out, not moving it along.
How I find the cause
Every assessment is personal. I start with your story and the results you already have, and only add what will change the plan.
Your full story
Symptoms, history, medication and everything you've already tried.
Your existing results
I go through any recent results you bring, in detail.
Testing only when it changes the plan
No standard package. If more information is needed, I'll explain why.
Alongside your doctor
Medical causes are ruled out first, with your doctor when needed.
How we treat it
Over four months, with a consultation roughly every month and the plan adjusted as you improve.
1
Find your type
History, symptoms and a clear assessment.
2
Fibre, fluids and magnesium
Doses adjusted to you, not general advice.
3
Retrain motility
Morning routines and meal timing that use the gut's natural reflexes.
4
Treat the cause
Microbiome, thyroid, hormones or nervous system.
5
Reduce laxatives gradually
As your gut takes over, and with your doctor if they were prescribed.
Two ways to start
Most people start with a first consultation. If you already know you want the full programme, you can book it directly.
RECOMMENDED FOR CONSTIPATION
Gut Health Reset programme
€320 4 months
4 one-to-one consultations over 4 months
Functional tests and blood work prescribed and interpreted
Personalised nutrition and supplementation plan
Plan adjusted every month as symptoms change
Who you'll work with
I'm Rita Soares, a functional nutritionist with 12 years of clinical practice and more than 2,000 patients. I work with people who have tried the usual advice and are still not well.
Ordem dos Nutricionistas 2604N · IFM member · MSc in Clinical Communication
What patients say
Frequently asked questions
When to see your doctor first
Blood in your stool
Unexplained weight loss
Severe abdominal pain
Constipation that started recently after age 50
A family history of bowel cancer
Alternating constipation with new, persistent diarrhoea
Ruling out medical causes always comes first. I work alongside your doctor, not instead of them.
Read more on the blog
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