Beyond Health ― Our Story ― The Company

Raymond Francis' expertise in supplements developed on two levels. As a chemist, he networked with leaders in the industry and began to understand how a good supplement should be made. On another level, he was his own guinea pig, learning by trial and error. He was extremely chemically sensitive at the time, and poorly formulated supplements could have devastating effects, causing health setbacks lasting days and weeks at a time. He knew that although he was an extreme example, such supplements could have subtle negative effects on anyone.

Lesson number one became crystal clear: supplements made with cheap, synthetic chemicals, with low biological activity in the body were the most expensive supplements anyone could buy! Not only were they only marginally effective for their intended use; their unintended and harmful side effects on body chemistry made them worse than worthless. The only supplements capable of helping people get well and stay well were made from natural ingredients, using only the biologically correct molecules the body needs, wants and uses.

But why aren't all supplements made this way? Raymond found that although ignorance was often involved, the main reason was cost. Supplement chemistry is complex, and few healthcare practitioners, let alone consumers, understand it. As a result, consumer choices are usually dictated by price comparisons and successful marketing. So supplement companies are pushed to keep their prices as low as possible, and to put their money into marketing rather than into creating the highest quality products.

Obviously this situation doesn't serve the consumer who wants to get and stay well! Raymond became determined to address this problem by starting his own company. Many contacts in the industry warned him that customers would be unwilling to pay for uncompromising quality. But all during his career, he had been told that something “couldn't be done” just because it wasn't being done, and he decided to give it a try. He would sell only products that he would want to use himself with ingredients that he investigated thoroughly and that passed his scrupulous tests for effectiveness, safety and value. Not just vitamins, but other products, like oils, air purifiers, rebounders, soaps and lotions that contributed to a healthy lifestyle.

He would call his company “Beyond Health” to encourage people to think beyond what they currently considered health (the absence of a diagnosed disease and the ability to carry on and function), and to aim instead for a condition of optimal health in which no matter what your age, you bound out of bed in the morning full of vitality and eager for the day ahead.

After one of his public lectures, a woman approached him excited by what she had heard. She was recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and believed that she had gotten exhausted and sick working for social change in her free time while taking meaningless day-jobs just to pay the bills. She thought finding meaningful paid work would be key to her recovery, and told Raymond to call her if he ever went into business and needed help. He did call her, and Pamela, who is writing this history, has now been with Beyond Health for more than twenty years.

Since its inception, Beyond Health has grown steadily through good financial times and bad, by attracting a loyal customer base of people who have benefited from Raymond's uncompromising commitment to quality.