Sandra Murphy, ND Naturopathic Doctor

01/23/2025

Flood! Thank you so much for your patience and support as I've transitioned to virtual care only while my clinic is torn apart. A sewer back up on the weekend meant the loss of my reception and treatment room flooring. I've needed some big breaths and even bigger tears from the frustration, but we are moving through.
Hopefully, the cast iron replacement will be timely, and I will be able to gaze at you in person by February 6th
Xoxo

01/10/2025

It was CPR Recert day for me!
Always a good refresher with the trainers at Lifeshield. Good reminder: it is more likely you will be performing CPR and first aid on a loved one, not a stranger.
Get certified today. Give your loved ones the best chance of brain survival. Timely CPR!

08/26/2024

Underdiagnosed in women and those AFAB (assigned female ADD/ADHD typically causes inattention symptoms in women.
● Prone to misplacing things/losing things
● Problem staying focused or on task
● Easily distracted
● Routinely absentminded or frequently forgetful
Often MISDIAGNOSED as anxiety, depression, and burnout, a proper assessment means proper treatment. ADD/ADHD Assessment/Diagnosis is not something that can be done in most 7 min GP appointments, and like all extended care in NS the wait times are excessive.
Resources like .beyond.adhd can be a great alternative.
First three steps:
Get diagnosed.
Explore treatment options like medication therapy, and coaching
Learn about your ADHD and how it impacts all aspects of your life.

06/26/2024

We invite you to drop by our Pre-Primary to Grade 12 Open House at the Shambhala School on Wednesday, July 3rd starting at 6:00pm. This event is an excellent opportunity for prospective families to explore the unique offerings of our school. We encourage anyone who might be considering a change in t...

06/26/2024

06/24/2024

So I did a new thing on the weekend. A year and a bit after realizing my love of all things barbell, .and.wellness.studio encouraged me to try a powerlifting meet! As someone without a lot of anxiety or fear of public speaking, I finally understand "Do It Scared".
Nerves abounded, but I hit 7 out of 9 lifts for 3 new Personal Bests.
What a welcoming community lifters are. People I had just met were clapping, encouraging, and teaching the ropes.
Every day, the body of evidence for the benefits of strength training grows.
Start today.
Lift heavy.

01/05/2024

Weight bias is pervasive in health care. Many health care practitioners shame body weight for a litany of health conditions. Ones weight is deemed solely one's personal responsibility. Judgement is placed on those in larger bodies for "burdening the health care system".
Fat bias is a societal problem, and so it is also a problem in medical education both conventional and naturopathic. THINNESS DOES NOT EQUAL HEALTH. Associations have too long been deemed causation and those bodies larger than deemed acceptable are shamed as a "problem". Whether they are in the white coat or across the desk.
A study of female medical students showed 79% had body image dissatisfaction despite normal BMI (Bosi, 2016). This is a ripe environment for eating disorders.

01/01/2024

Today, the Government of Canada and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health announced the launch of the 9-8-8: Su***de Crisis Helpline across the country.

This easy-to-remember number will connect anyone in Canada to free 24/7 su***de prevention support by phone calls and text.

If you or someone you know is thinking about su***de, please call or text 9-8-8 for judgement-free su***de prevention support. You are not alone.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/uchE50QcRIa

11/23/2023

Reminder-If you have a therapeutic light, you can't benefit if you don't use it! 15-20 min can make a big difference to your mood and brain fog on dark dreary days 🌧

11/15/2023

"Certainly, MDs concerned about the harms of pseudoscience should be open to dialogue and partnership with NDs who follow evidence-based approaches rather than summarily dismissing the entire profession."

https://healthydebate.ca/2023/11/topic/naturopathic-doctors-underutilized-partners/?fbclid=IwAR0y8ZhlN1RPHCrZyhrjkVWeNIg6oDFb3pHbnn1R2Lbai2l-uUKR39ZxiGw

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) have an important role to play in the health-care system. We need a pilot project to assess the viability of ND integration into team-based primary care models.

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween from a celler spider that loves my clinic. She moves around, hunting the spiders that really scare me and I let her be. A symbiotic relationship 🕷
Friendly reminder; taking kids candy away from them Ala the Switch Witch doesn't teach them self-regulation. Offer a solid meal before leaving tonight. Allow them to eat what they want while offering other snacks. Seasonal sweets make memories.

10/25/2023

Second installment of supplement ads that DRIVE ME CRAY-CRAY! Overpriced American products who put their $$ into influencers and targeted ads instead of the product. Canadian-made supplements like have gone through a process to prove effectiveness for label claims. (Look for an NHP #) Not only are they available locally saving you $$ on shipping and duty charges but they are often 1/2 the price and in Canadian Dollars. Other favourite Canadian supplement companies are

10/25/2023

Ugh. What a load of $ #!+
640mg proprietary "blend" ÷ 29 things in the blend = ~22 mg each if equal amounts.
Even if rounded up to 50 mg (2 cap dose) each day, that is well below an amount that could possibly elicit a response by the body. For example, mustard seeds are typically dosed between 2-4 grams a day or 40-80 times what is in this formula.
Don't waste your 💰 save it for groceries.
The only interventions with years of good data that can improve your quality of life "after 40" regardless of your unique health needs (which is a separate thing) are:
♡timely primary care (think bloodwork/blood pressure screening and early intervention in acute illnesses)
♡weight training
♡consistent movement that incorporates balance (whatever that looks like for you: walking, zumba, chair yoga, hiking, jogging etc)
and
♡NOT undereating
💪 🚶‍♀️ ❤️

08/08/2023

They aren't perfect and will take adjustment but if you have them, wearing your hearing aids regularly points to some pretty positive outcomes for slowing the onset of dementia.

Hearing aid use was linked to a 48% slowing of cognitive decline among individuals at increased risk of dementia, results of a first-of-its-kind, randomized trial show.

08/03/2023

If you need me, I'll be eating Kitchen Sink Salad for the rest of the summer. 🥗 Vermeulen Farms' Canning-grown romaine hearts are at the grocery store and what a difference! I added 🍒 🧀 🥓 🥒 🍅, garden herbs and tortilla crisps for crunch!
(Fruit on salad? Heck yeah)

Eating food recently picked, enduring minimal transport/plastic exposure increases the tastiness exponentially! Do you have to pretend to like vegetables? Maybe they have all just travelled too far? 🤔
After a season of drought, fires, and floods our farmers need all of our support. There has never been a more important time to buy local delicious food.

08/01/2023

New Patients will notice a new disclaimer when booking in ➡️. After TWO new patients "No-Showed" today (in a row!!😡) with no phone call/email/explanation/excuse I am implementing a policy where I will be tracking the offenders, and you may be prevented from booking in the future.
I work limited hours, and when one doesn't cancel in a timely manner, it lowers my earning potential, prevents others from getting timely treatment, and it's RUDE.

05/05/2023

Take your daughter to Work 💪 Day!
This is our movement joy; pushing sleds, incline bench press, walking lunges, deadlifts-etc! Proud to show my kids that exercise is a gift and not a punishment. Many, many thanks 😊 to .and.wellness.studio and for a and safe environment to show Nina bodies are made to move!