Summer promises relaxation, but many people continue to feel busy, overstimulated and stressed. This makes it the perfect time to embrace a “summer slowdown” and nurture one of the body's most powerful pathways for recovery and resilience: the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve and serves as a major communication pathway between the brain and body. It plays a central role in the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the "rest-and-digest" system.³ Healthy vagal tone helps the body recover from stress, regulate inflammation, support digestion and maintain emotional balance. Chronic stress, however, can impair vagal function, contributing to anxiety, digestive complaints, poor sleep and fatigue.´,µ Fortunately, vagal tone can often be strengthened through simple daily practices. One of the most effective tools is slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Research shows that slow breathing activates the vagus nerve and improves heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of nervous system flexibility and resilience.· A simple technique is 4:6 breathing, where you inhale through your nose for 4 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds. As you breathe in, focus on expanding the belly (as if filling a balloon in your abdomen) to fully engage the diaphragm. This sends calming signals through the vagus nerve and helps shift the body into a more relaxed state. Studies suggest that practicing slowpaced breathing for 10–20 minutes daily can significantly improve HRV and increase resilience to stress.5,6 A summer vagus nerve routine does not need to be complicated. Start the morning with 5-10 minutes of sunlight exposure and a few rounds of belly breathing. Throughout the day, take breaks to stretch, spend time in nature or go for a walk. Listening to music, humming along to a favorite song and sharing meals with family and friends are additional ways to signal safety to the brain and support recovery from stress. Humming is particularly interesting because vibrations in the vocal cords and throat may stimulate vagal pathways and promote relaxation.¾ Other supportive practices include meditation, yoga, chanting, cold-water exposure and meaningful social connection. Summer offers a natural invitation to slow down. By incorporating mindful breathing, time in nature, social connection and intentional rest, we can help retrain the nervous system to move from survival mode towards a state of balance, recovery and resilience. Dr. Najar is a primary care naturopathic doctor and an associate professional clinical counselor at Live Well Clinic and can be reached at (760) 771.5970 or www.livewellclinic.org. References available upon request. Trust the beauty industry to coin another term designed to make desert dwellers tremble. Inflammaging. That glorious intersection of aging and inflammation. Yes, it’s real and well-documented.³ But no, it’s not a new disaster. It’s just a name for something skin does as it ages. And it’s not a women-only club; men’s skin ages this way too, just without the hormonal cliff of menopause. The term was coined in 2000 by an immunologist studying older immune systems.³ The basic idea: as we age, the immune system gets less precise and more trigger-happy, sending a low-level stream of inflammatory signals even when nothing is wrong. It nudges along the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, interferes with overnight repair and wears at the barrier—the outer layer that holds moisture in and keeps irritants out. None of this announces itself with a rash. It’s quieter, which is why it can feel like it came out of nowhere. If you’ve ever wondered when your skin got thinner, or why a product that worked for years suddenly stopped, this may be the answer. Women face a sharp estrogen decline, and estrogen isn’t just a reproductive hormone. In skin, it helps regulate collagen production, barrier strength and inflammatory response. Women can lose roughly 30% of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause, alongside a thinner barrier and less oil production. Men get a version of this too; testosterone decline affects skin thickness and oil production, but more gradually, over decades rather than a sharp five-year window. If you live in the desert, you already have two of the biggest inflammaging amplifiers built into daily life: relentless UV and bone-dry air. UV generates free radicals that feed directly into that inflammatory loop. Low humidity stresses the barrier around the clock. Heat adds to the irritation. Should we care? A little, and not in the way the marketing wants you to. No need to panic or treat your face like a battlefield. But a few things are worth knowing: Barrier first. If the barrier is compromised, everything else works harder. Lipids, ceramides and niacinamide are the workhorses here; when the air is drier, use more cream, more mists, more balm. Antioxidants earn their keep. Vitamin C and antioxidant-rich botanicals intercept free-radical noise before it becomes inflammation. Strong actives, gentler entry. Retinoids, peptides and acids genuinely support collagen, but layering them onto a strained barrier produces more redness than results. Back off during summer. Sun protection isn’t optional. Of all the facts, this one has the most evidence behind it. SPF, shade and a hat do more for inflammaging than any jar on the shelf—and painting indoors beats tennis at noon. Brook Dougherty of Indio is the co-founder and chief alchemist of JustUs Skincare, formulated for mature and post-menopausal skin. She can be reached at (310) 266.7171 or brook@justusskincare.com. www.justusskincare.com. Reference: 1) Franceschi C, Bonafè M, Valensin S, et al. (2000). "Inflamm-aging: An evolutionary perspective on immunosenescence." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 908, 244–254. www.DesertHealthNews.com July/August 2026 Natural Options The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 10 www.livewellclinic.org 760.771.5970 78900 Ave. 47, Suite 102 • La Quinta info@livewellclinic.org www.livewellclinic.org @LiveWellClinicLaQuinta @LiveWellClinic Sonja Fung, ND Naturopathic Doctor Medical Director Live Happy, Live Well Offering Telemedicine Naturopathic Primary Care Photodynamic Therapy GLP Weight Loss Integrative Cancer Care Hats are one of the best solutions to minimizing inflammaging. Summer is the perfect time to slow down and take a breath. www.justusskincare.com www.sacredwomancollective.com Curated circles, gatherings and retreats for women drawn to connection, reflection, and community Visit SacredWomanCollective.com to learn more. (760) 485-3433 alison@sacredwomancollective.com sacredwomancollective Alison Mullins, IPHM International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine Inflammaging: Is It a Thing, and Should We Care? By Brook Dougherty Summer Slowdown Self-care Routine Supporting the vagus nerve and re-regulating stress By Cristal Salcido Najar, ND, APCC
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