When you hear the term Paleo air, you need to think about what humans breathed more than 2 million years ago. Much like the Paleo diet wants you to eat foods that would have only been available to Paleolithic humans, Paleo air is all about experiencing what people must have smelled before the widespread deforestation and industrialization that exists as part of all of our lives.
1. Going Paleo Is Easy
The Paleo diet strives to reintroduce the hunter-gatherer style of eating that didn’t rely on the consumption of the grains and carbohydrates that are prevalent in today’s agrarian society. Basically, if cavemen didn’t eat it, then you should either. This idea simplifies our diets to “clean foods” such as fish, grass-fed meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
This diet is all about looking into the past to discover what had a positive influence on early human development, then reintroduce that into our modern lives. Beside Paleolithic human diets, it is believed that millions of years ago our ancestors were likely to have lived near forests and rolling grasslands where many different kinds of plants provided ample food supplies.
For Paleolithic humans, this might have meant that the surrounding air smelled like a variety of plants. Possibly, people were drawn to areas that had these familiar smells because it meant food. Today, we know that plants contain compounds called terpenes that may provide specific medicinal benefits that promote a particular reaction after inhaling these scents.
2. Paleo Air’s Benefits Are Amazing
So, Paleo air is all about “breathing plants.” By looking to nature, growers have found that different plants contain unique variations of oils that can be vaporized and inhaled. These oils, which contain terpenes, pass into the bloodstream and move through the body to produce certain desirable results.
Common medicinal properties of plant oils include:
- Sense of Calm – Lavender, bergamot, rosewood, ylang ylang, chamomile and geranium essential oil seek to promote relaxation, restfulness and support a healthy stress and frustration response. These oils may also support muscle recovery and healthy joints during physical activity.
- Memory Support – Basil, peppermint, lemon, rosemary and cypress essential oil may support focus, clarity and cognition in the early mornings or late in the day. These oils may promote healthy learning during work and study.
- Detoxification – Lemon, grapefruit, orange, juniper berry, rosemary and black pepper essential oil enter the body and begin by supporting the liver’s natural detoxification properties. As blood moves through the liver, waste is separated and passed from the body in the form of bile. This is believed to remove unwanted material from the body to make room for and help maintain the normal absorption of minerals and vitamins.
- Meditation – Cedarwood, orange, lavender, frankincense, ylang ylang and rose essential oil seeks to support healthy brain wave patterns, feelings of calm and the ability to find peace and wellness of the mind. For those with busy lives or personal challenges, meditation is believed to promote a healthy brain function and normal behavior.
- Sleep – Mandarin, marjoram, lavender, ylang ylang, vetiver, cedar, chamomile and sage essential oil is believed to support a sense of well-being, a healthy immune system, healthy-looking skin, normal digestion and healthy stress management.
There are hundreds of different essential oils available that are believed to have unique and interesting properties. In order to protect their quality, steam distillation is used to extract the oils with concentrated amounts that may be ideal for the Paleo air respiratory diet.
3. Making Your Own Paleo Air Is Fast and Fun
Are you interested in starting a Paleo air diet? All you need is a diffuser and the essential oil of your choice.
Here is what you should buy to start a Paleo air respiratory diet today:
Oil Diffuser
NOW Foods Real Bamboo Ultrasonic Oil Diffuser is a quiet and easy to clean diffuser that only requires water and the essential oil of your choice.  This diffuser uses ultrasonic energies to evaporate the water and oils to produce a cool mist that fills the air.
Essential Oil Starter Kits
These kits will help you identify the scents you enjoy and what essential oils may offer optimal benefits to your health.
Let There Be Peace & Quiet Essential Oils Kit From NOW Foods comes with 4 bottles that include: Eucalyptus oil, Lavender oil, Peaceful Sleep blend, and Peppermint Oil. Each of these essential oils seeks to support feelings of restfulness, a healthy stress and frustration response, and well-being following a long day at work.
Love At First Scent Essential Oils Kit From NOW Foods comes with 4 bottles that include: Naturally Loveable Blend, Cinnamon Cassia, Rose Absolute, and Bergamont. These essential oils seek to promote feelings of warmth and love.
Put Some Pep In Your Step Essential Oils Kit From NOW Foods arrives with 4 bottles that include: Grapefruit Oil, Cheer Up Buttercup, Orange Oil, and Lemon Oil. If your struggle to get up and moving during the day, this kit may provide the motivation your need to succeed!
Seasonal Changes Essential Oils Kit from NOW Foods contains 4 bottles that include: Tea tree, Natura’s Shield, Clear the Air, Eucalyptus Radiata. These essential oils seek to support a healthy immune system, offer support for a normal mood, and support for seasonal challenges.
4. Paleo Air Can Travel With You
Just like you want to maintain your Paleo diet when out of the home, you want to experience Paleo air no matter where you are on the planet. The good news is that anyone can travel with Paleo air, even on planes.
Nasal Inhaler
Aromatherapy Blank Nasal Inhaler from Wyndmere Essential Oils allows you to add the essential oil of your choice, then insert the inhaler into the nose and inhale. The oil will pass through the sinuses and into the bloodstream to provide the desired result. This inhaler fits in your pocket, purse and most any travel bag.
Pocket Diffusers
Stay Alert Scent Inhaler from Earth Solutions is a handy essential oil pocket diffuser that helps you stay alerted. This inhaler comes filled with peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, cedarwood and ravensara essential oils.
Travel Ease Scent Inhaler from Earth Solutions is pocket diffuser that comes with an essential oil blend that seeks to support a healthy stress and frustration response during travel. These diffuser is filled with lavender, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli, black pepper and peppermint essential oils
5. The Practice of Paleo Air Dates Back 3,000 Years
In previous research, we found that the practice of using essential oils to support health dates back thousands of years.
In Ancient India culture, essential oils formed a key part of the Ayurvedic system of medicine that began at least 3,000 years ago. Ayurveda seeks to support the human well being by identifying the connection between mind and body, with meditation often being part of this pursuit.
The use of essential oils spread into China as early as 2697 BCE before reaching the Greek and Romans, then moved through Europe and finally entered America. Today, practitioners of medicine continue to study and use essential oils to support a healthy body.
While many different people with unique beliefs have their own views on essential oils, it is only recently with the growing popularity of the Paleo Diet that some have begun to identify the connection between Paleolithic humans and their lives as foragers and the role plants must have played in their ability to survive.
What are your thoughts about the Paleo diet and “breathing plants?” Are there essential oils that you enjoy or find provide some health benefit? Share them in the comments below!
