Heart to Heart Medical Center - Shiroko Sokitch, MD

12/15/2025

What are your health goals for the new year? What would help you create fun and joy in your life in this new year?

12/15/2025

12/13/2025

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

It’s December, and I’m seeing the pattern again: people are running on adrenaline, sleeping less, eating more sugar, and pushing through stress… then the body crashes.

In Chinese medicine, we’re moving into “kidney season.” Your kidneys are connected to your deep energy reserves, your ability to handle big transitions, and the emotion of fear. That’s why winter can feel heavier, slower, and more tiring.

So here’s your permission slip: hibernate on purpose.
Not forever. Just enough to protect your immune system and keep your holidays peaceful.

My simple holiday immunity guide:
1. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 (because it does)
2. 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 (your immune system listens to your nervous system)
3. 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
4. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 “𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞”: a quality multivitamin + omega-3s
5. 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: medicinal mushrooms are one option many people use in fall and winter
6. If you are traveling: 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚, wash hands, and protect your sleep

If you want, I put my “holiday immune support” favorites into one easy resource.
Comment 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐄 and I’ll send the link. Save this so you can come back to it before your next party or flight.

Comment “𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐄” + Save + Share with a friend who always gets sick in December.

12/08/2025

𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲?

Most people think shoulder pain comes from “sleeping wrong” or overusing the joint. In Chinese medicine, your shoulder is so much more than that. It is a crossroads where powerful energy channels from your organs, immunity, posture, and emotions all meet.

Swipe through this post to learn how:
👉 Your shoulder acts as an energy crossroads
👉 Pain can reflect deeper imbalances in digestion, immunity, and stress
👉 Front vs back shoulder pain offers important diagnostic clues
👉 Gentle movement, acupressure, and whole-system care can support relief
👉 You can start listening to what your shoulder pain is really trying to tell you

You do not have to stay stuck in pain. When you understand the message, you can finally begin to heal.

🎥 Watch the full shoulder pain video with Dr. Shiroko and read the blog for deeper guidance. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14SBftFW4Gk/

💾 Save this carousel for later and share it with someone who has been struggling with shoulder pain.

12/03/2025

𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩?

So many people come to me saying, “I must have slept wrong, my shoulder is killing me.”

But in Chinese medicine, shoulder pain is rarely just a local problem. Your shoulder sits at a powerful crossroads where several energy channels meet. That means what you feel in your shoulder is often connected to deeper patterns in your body, like:
💘 How well you digest and eliminate
💘 How your immune system is coping with stress and inflammation
💘 How much tension you carry in your neck and upper back
💘 The emotions you have a hard time processing or “letting go” of

When those channels get stuck, you might feel:
💔 A dull ache that never fully goes away
💔 Pain lifting your arm or reaching behind you
💔 A frozen, tight, or “blocked” feeling in the front or back of your shoulder

In my practice, I look at your shoulder pain as a message, not just a mechanical problem. That means we work on the painful area, and we also support the organs and systems that are sending that pain signal in the first place.

In the new video, I explain:
✅ How Chinese medicine understands shoulder pain
✅ Why front vs back shoulder pain can point to different patterns
✅ Simple acupressure and movement tips to start relieving pain at home
✅ When it is time to get deeper support

You do not have to live with constant shoulder pain. When you listen to what your body is saying, real healing becomes possible.

🎥 Watch the full shoulder pain video, then save this post and share it with someone who has been struggling with shoulder pain for a long time.

12/02/2025

What if your body is not breaking down… it is sending you messages asking for a different kind of care? 💚

Today I am joined by Marlowe Bassett, Founder and Director of Metamorphosis Ballet, as my special guest as we explore how to biohack your health in the kitchen – starting with the foods you choose, the cookware you use, and the way you nourish your body every single day.

Biohacking is not about pushing harder or chasing the next quick fix. It is about learning how your unique body works, listening to its subtle signals, and giving it the nutrients, rhythms, and emotional support it needs to heal.

In my work with patients, I blend functional medicine, Chinese medicine, and simple daily habits so you can:
✨ reclaim your energy
✨ calm your nervous system
✨ ease pain and inflammation
✨ feel at home in your body again

You are not “too broken” or “too late.” Your body is incredibly wise, and it wants to heal with you, not against you.

💫 Watch this, save it for when you need hope, and share it with someone who feels stuck in their health journey.

Watch the full interview here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B7a18gVyz/

11/27/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

I am deeply grateful for your courage – for every step you take to listen to your body, to keep going when things feel hard, and to believe that healing is still possible.

Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you on your journey. Your stories, your struggles, and your victories inspire me every single day.

May this season bring you moments of true rest, gentle joy, and a renewed sense of hope in your body and your life.

With love and gratitude,
Dr. Shiroko Sokitch 🤍

11/26/2025

𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮

So many of my patients are doing “all the right things” - supplements, diets, stress work - and still do not feel well.

One missing piece I see again and again is the kitchen.

Your cookware, plastics, and cooking methods can quietly add metals, chemicals, and microplastics into your food. Over time, this can irritate your gut lining, disrupt hormones, and increase your toxic load.

In my recent conversation with kitchen wellness expert Marlowe Bassett, we talked about:
💗 Why most cookware is not regulated for safety
💗 How non-stick, “ceramic”, aluminum, cast iron, and enamel can leach toxins
💗 The link between cookware, leaky gut, and inflammation
💗 How to turn your kitchen into a biohacking lab for health and longevity

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 - it is responding to what it is exposed to every single day.

The good news: you can change that environment.
💚 Start small: upgrade 1 daily-use pan or storage container at a time.
💚 Focus on low-tox, low-heat, and low-plastic choices.
👉 Comment “KITCHEN” if you want a simple checklist of clean-cooking swaps.
👉 Save this post to review before your next cookware or kitchen purchase.

11/24/2025

As an integrative MD and acupuncturist, Dr. Shiroko Sokitch has spent decades helping women balance their hormones, heal from complex health issues, and finally feel at home in their bodies again. Her work bridges Western medicine and Chinese medicine so you are not forced to choose between science and intuition, but can be guided by both.

For years, women were warned that hormone replacement therapy was “too risky,” especially for breast cancer. Many have suffered in silence with hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, low libido, and feeling like a stranger in their own skin.

But a large 2019 study of millions of women showed something very different:
✅ Hormone replacement therapy can help protect your heart
✅ It can help prevent osteoporosis
✅ The connection with breast cancer is far smaller than we were led to believe

Because of this, the black box warning on hormone replacement therapy is being removed. That means more space for calm, informed conversations with your doctor about what is truly right for you.

I am not telling you to run out and get hormones.
I am telling you that your body is not broken, and you deserve options that help you feel good, vibrant, and safe in your own skin. 💛

If you have avoided hormones out of fear or past messaging, it might be time to revisit that decision with a practitioner you deeply trust.

👉 Save this if you are in perimenopause or menopause
👉 Share this with a friend who is struggling
👉 Comment “HORMONES” if you want more clear, compassionate education like this

Educational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult your own doctor or integrative practitioner before starting any treatment.

11/24/2025

Today's live was all about BioHacking in Your Kitchen. It's not just important to cook organic foods, but to also pay attention to what they're cooked in and how you cook them that makes a difference.