General

As fate would have it, our journeys which lead to the driving passion for organic choices for health began many years ago. One poignant example of this occurred in 1999 when I attended a conference of the Aerospace Medical Association (of which I was a member) in Detroit, Michigan. At that time, my interest was in my Ph.D. dissertation and researching resources for designing a worthwhile study on the effect of fatigue on cognitive performance and various psychophysiological indices. I was amazed to learn about the many factors which were impacting cognitive performance, and in particular, the ability of pilots to effectively attend to tasks of variable workloads. The significance of organophosphate (OP) exposure to several classes of personnel in the airline industry was highlighted to me. The impact was profound. I started studying the neurological effects of OP on humans and its history in the agricultural ‘roots’. It became clear to me that for many decades, so much was known, yet so little was done to mitigate the deleterious effects of pesticides and other known neurotoxins on the human condition and our planet. The study was never completed because of the incredible changes which occurred in the airline industry as well as other factors.
We were redirected to look at various aspects of eco-living and the use of organic products in our lifestyle because of our daughter’s dramatic response to a medical condition. Over the years, we had allowed the availability and price of organic foods and personal items to be a barrier to readily using them. That was until there was a dramatic and positive turn around in our daughter’s health following her naturopath’s recommendations for certain organic foods. We were truly overwhelmed by her response following years of using pharmaceuticals for her allergies and asthma. Peers as well as parents from her track team were amazed because they knew of her previous dependence on conventional medicine before competing or even her four-days-per-week training routine. We will not walk away from eating and living organically. It is our sincere hope that we can make a profound impact in as many lives as those who choose to listen and become receptive students of change.


•	The truth is that organic fibers can be profitably incorporated into the garment industry
•	As a matter of basic business practices, consumers expect corporate responsibility.
•	We expect that bans will be imposed on the most toxic chemicals and possible labeling regulations regarding genetically engineered products will prompt the development of sustainable practices.
•	Greater care goes into the production of high quality products made from the best crops and processed without destructive chemicals.
•	Companies who care to be environmental leaders will have the edge.

I'm for REAL represents a movement that serves to combine products and services that respect our environment while promoting health, wellness and fashion in a hip and socially responsible manner.

Our philosophy dictates that all products are good for you and our planet. They are created from sustainable plant resources and produced from reclaimed, and recycled materials. Items that are hand-made are one-of-a-kind functional pieces of art that can be worn, organize your personal space or accessorize your "outfit" with a whole lot of style. Each purchase at I'm for REAL makes a strong statement about our values: our eco-consciousness and a renewed global perspective. We continually choose to highlight our symbiotic relationship with nature as our earth has the capacity to take care of us if we take care of her.

The earth has a finite amount of fossil fuels and a limited ability to absorb the by-products created from their use. We cannot continue to consume resources at our current rate if our quality of life is to be maintained. Less than 10% of the energy generated in Canada is used for its intended purpose. Canada’s performance on most environmental scales is worsening and our aid to developing nations to create sustainable economies has been diminished by 50% in the last 10-15 years.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada ranked an abysmal 28 of 29 nations in a study which rated key indicators in ten categories such an air, water, energy , waste, climate change, ozone depletion, agriculture, transportation, and biological diversity. (Source: David R. Boyd. Canada vs. OECD: An Environmental Comparison. Victoria: Eco-Research Chair in Environmental Law and Policy).
On a global scale, humans, through advanced technology have created more than 110,000 chemicals (growing at a rate of 1,000 per year) that are used and not previously known to our earth. Nature cannot assimilate these chemicals, and so the obvious conclusion is that we must not emit these substance at a rate that is greater that their rate of degradation and integration into natural cycles. The toxic load created by the most persistent and resilient substances such as: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), many other pesticides and hormonal destabilizers is literally unbearable. As a result, it is necessary for us to substitute plant-based abundant and biodegradable substances and to use all products efficiently.