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MY APPROACH
Functional medicine nutrition in Lisbon and online
Functional nutrition looks for why your symptoms started, not only how to quiet them. I connect your gut, hormones, blood sugar, stress and nutrient levels, and build a plan that treats the cause in the right order.
Rita Soares · Functional nutritionist · 12 years, 2,000+ patients
Ordem dos Nutricionistas 2604N · IFM member · Online worldwide and in person in Lisbon
What is functional nutrition?
Functional nutrition is a way of working that looks for the underlying causes of chronic symptoms instead of treating each symptom on its own. It looks at how digestion, hormones, blood sugar, inflammation, stress and nutrient levels affect each other, and uses that picture to build a personalised plan. It works alongside medical care, not instead of it.
How it differs from standard nutrition
Both are useful. Functional nutrition is for when the usual advice hasn't been enough.
Standard nutrition
Starting point: the diagnosis or the goal
First consultation: often 30–45 minutes
Focus: what you eat
Testing: standard blood work
The plan: often a standard meal plan
Supplements: rarely discussed
Your doctor: separate
Functional nutrition
Starting point: your whole story, when symptoms started and what changed
First consultation: 90 minutes
Focus: what you eat, how you digest it, and the systems behind your symptoms
Testing: your existing results first; more only when it changes the plan
The plan: personalised and changed in stages, in the right order
Supplements: only when justified, at the right dose, for a set time
Your doctor: worked with, and medical causes ruled out first
The six areas I look at
Chronic symptoms rarely have a single cause. These are the areas I map in every first consultation.
Gut and digestion
Stomach acid, motility, the microbiome and the gut lining: the base for absorbing everything else.
Hormones
Thyroid, sex hormones and the stress hormones, and how they change through life stages like perimenopause.
Blood sugar and metabolism
How your body handles energy, which affects weight, cravings, energy dips and long-term health.
Inflammation and the immune system
Low-grade inflammation and immune activation that can show up in the gut, joints or skin.
Stress, sleep and the nervous system
A body in constant alert digests, sleeps and recovers less well.
Nutrient status
Iron, B12, vitamin D and other nutrients that are often low and easy to correct once found.
What happens when you work with me
1
First consultation (90 minutes)
Your full history, diet, lifestyle, medication and supplements, and a review of any results you bring.
2
Map the root causes
I connect your symptoms to the six areas and explain what I think is driving them, in plain language.
3
Testing only if it changes the plan
No standard package. If more information is needed, I'll explain why before you decide.
4
A plan in the right order
Nutrition, supplements when justified, and lifestyle changes introduced step by step.
5
Review and adjust
Follow-ups to track progress and adjust the plan, usually monthly in the 4-month programmes, with email support in between.
What functional nutrition is not
It is not
A replacement for your doctor or your medication
Extreme or permanent elimination diets
A long list of supplements for everyone
The same protocol for every patient
It is
Evidence-based clinical nutrition, by a registered nutritionist
A structured search for causes
A plan that fits your life and changes as you improve
Teamwork with your GP or specialist when needed
When to see your doctor first
Blood in your stool, or unexplained weight loss
Symptoms that wake you up at night
Difficulty swallowing that is getting worse
New, persistent symptoms after age 50
Ruling out medical causes always comes first. I work alongside your doctor, not instead of them.
Who it helps
These are the conditions I see most. Each page explains the usual causes and how treatment works.
Immune system and skin
Two ways to start
Most people start with a first consultation. If you already know your main issue, you can go straight to a 4-month programme.
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