3 traditional Chinese medicine commandments for summer

With the rains officially over, Shanghai's notorious summer heat is now on. Although there is the cold comfort of the AC, how about giving the body some real summer TLC with some cooling Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?

CNNGo tapped Doris Rathgeber who runs Shanghai’s only multilingual (German, English, Chinese) TCM clinic, Body & Soul, for some expert advice we all can easily subscribe to.

Rathgeber -- a German expat who writes her prescriptions in Chinese characters -- has these three TCM commandments:

1. Get thee to the market

Rising temperature and humidity levels leave the body hot and sweaty internally too. Fortunately, Mother Nature provides an array of seasonal fruits and vegetables that have a cooling effect on the body.

Pick up watermelons, honeydew, rockmelons, cucumbers and tomatoes on your next trip to the market -- they are not only at their juiciest but help cool and dehumidify the body's system to prevent rashes and nasty fungal itches. Ew. 

2. Drink more tea

Up your intake of green and flower teas, especially peppermint and jasmine varieties, which are both refreshing and cooling for the body. Throw in some fortifying red goji berries for added benefit (you can find all of these at your local convenience store or super market). At the same time, start cutting back on vitamin supplements (get the Bs and Cs through fresh fruit and veg instead), salt, fatty meats and dairy products, which increase humidity in the body.

3. See the doc

Hit the local Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic for an acupuncture treatment, tuina (push/pull) massage and custom-concocted herbs, which can help restore inner balance and add some spring to your summer step. Or, learn how to give your own TCM foot massage.