As I was sitting in 26 degrees out in the middle of the East Sussex countryside and experiencing a few nose/throat tickles and sneezes I was reminded of the importance of hydrated mucus membranes to health (in class I call mucus membrane, wet tissue). I immediately got up and drank a pint of water, took an omega 3 oil and a 30ml shot of Zambroza (Antioxidant drink full of beta carotene which is the precursor to Vitamin A and other carotenoids too) and the mild symptoms I had immediately went.
It’s not as simple as just drinking water
This is not a blog only about drinking water, rather, it is important to understand how to help our bodies use and distribute water evenly without too little in some areas or too much in others. For example, a dry throat, eyes or water logged oedema around the ankles, all interestingly stem from an overall lack of water in our bodies reservoirs, but can also be due to the water we do have, not being able to get in or out of our cells effectively.
House plants can help us understand hydration

Think of a plant. If we forget to water it, it becomes bone dry. Then, when we do water it, all the water either sits on top unable to sink in, or it goes straight through, flooding the tray leaving the plant still dry. This is a good analogy for a dry human being. If we are inconsistent with our water day to day, when we do drink enough, it goes straight through us and so we may stop drinking which is a huge problem for our mucus membranes!
A simple truth is…
“Any body is only as healthy as the fluids running through it” We are told frequently how important it is to keep our blood thin and circulating with exercise, but rarely are other bodily fluids mentioned.
Let’s talk about body fluids
Saliva needs to be clear, clean and sufficiently lubricating our mouth with no smell – without white froth collecting at the corners of the mouth, or clear/white stringy visible mucus when we talk. These are signs of dehydration.
Urine needs to be clear (not cloudy) with a hint of lemon colour and no smell. Darker shades of yellow shows dehydration. A brown/orange colour usually means kidney problems and a doctor needs to be consulted.
Sweat needs to be thin and odourless (of course if lingering under armpits even fresh sweat can start to smell), however, the more hydrated we are, the less body odour we will have.
Eye fluids need to be a clear and watery lubricant without excessive white/yellow gloopy bits collecting in the corners of the eye. Each blink should be well lubricated and smooth without any awareness of our eyes. Dry eye usually starts off feeling uncomfortably dry and then turns into weeping, streaming eyes.
Vaginal fluids do vary throughout the month, however, continual heavy discharge suggests dehydration in the body and a need for the body to overproduce moisture in that area. Unless ovulating, which is clear odourless sticky mucus or just before a period when discharge can be thicker due to hormonal changes, the rest of the time discharge should be negligible and not smelly. More offensive vaginal discharge smell needs to be checked out by a doctor. The steps below can help with vaginal dryness even during the menopause.
Ears, we may not think our ears needing to be moist, however, when our ears are dry, flakey, crusty, itchy and/or uncomfortable we realise that they shouldn’t be completely dry. Ear wax is the lubricant for the middle and outer ear canal and ideally is slightly moist.
Throats need to be wet and continually bathed in good clean clear saliva. This way, any bacteria/virus/pathogen, allergens (pollen, dust etc) can be swallowed down and engulfed by our immune system. However, if the throat is dry, then all the above are able to cling on and stick to the throat tissue, irritate, inflame and/or begin to multiply and thrive within your body.
Noses need to be around 40% moist. Moisture is important for our nasal passages as it relieves nasal congestion and allows the sinuses to drain properly. Dry noses are more likely to feel uncomfortable and get infected.
Lips and Anus are not officially mucus membranes, although, they are where the outside of our body meets the inside therefore are between wet and dry tissue. Dry cracked lips and anus can be particularly uncomfortable therefore those sensitive tissue areas need to be plumped with internal fluid to keep them from splitting.
Lymph fluid needs to be hydrated to flow round the body properly and easily to get to all the areas that our blood can not get to. Clear, clean uncontested lymph contributes to a healthy immune system and healthy body.
What can we do to help our mucus membranes and body fluids?

Our bodies need Omega 3 to get the water we drink and eat, in and out of our cells. When our bodies don’t have the tools for the job in this area, water can either not enter into our cells or, when they do get in, they cant get out hence oedema.
Beta carotene and the carotenoids enable our bodies to hold water in our mucus membrane. Without sufficient water PLUS the omega 3 and beta carotene our mucus membrane can be dry and also other tissue within our bodies can be overloaded with water that can’t get out.
With Odema, potassium may also be needed as it also helps maintain the water balance of the body, (Chinese herb and mineral blend can be a good source of all the trace minerals)
4 suggested steps to help maintain a healthy water balance within your body.
- Water – Drink 2 litres of pure still water daily. (We may pee for England for a week or two BUT that will settle down and we may even go less than before the water – 6 x a day is normal urination.
- Oily fish however you can also get omega 3 from seaweed, algae, flax/chia and hemp seeds and within nuts, especially walnuts.
- Beta carotene and the carotenoids sources include eating red and green vegetables.
- Supplementing with Omega 3 fish oil, Spirulina and Zambroza (containing beta carotene and other carotenoids) can help further particularly with current mucus membrane problems.
Within Systematic Kinesiology there are many techniques that we are able to do to help with stubborn dryness and problem areas (find your local practitioner here) however we hope you are able to help yourself and or loved ones with some of these suggestions.
The above mentioned supplements to help keep mucus membranes hydrated are available in our shop at a discount. However please note: If you are on any medication please consult your doctor before taking any supplements.