Three years ago, Cameron Park resident Chris Pedersen received news that changed her life forever.

During her first colonoscopy, the doctor discovered a large number of pre-cancerous polyps growing in her colon. “It threw me for a complete loop,” Pedersen recalls. “I’ve always been a healthy eater.” Further testing revealed a defective gene, passed on unknowingly by her parents. Even though Pedersen’s doctor recommended complete removal of her colon, Pedersen decided to fight cancer on her own terms. She changed her diet completely, putting herself on a strict regime of cancer-fighting foods. “A year and a half after I started the diet, I had an absolutely clear colonoscopy. No polyps!” Pedersen exclaims.

Pedersen is now dedicated to helping others learn from her own cancer journey. She posts recipes and reflections on her blog, Healthy Journey Café (healthyjourneycafe.com), and she authored The Prisoner of Carrot Castle, an interactive book for children (available through the iTunes app store) that encourages children to eat their vegetables. For Pedersen, it’s all about getting others to change their lives for the better. She explains, “If I can fight a genetic cancer and win, then people who don’t eat healthy ought to listen.”

For more about Chris Pedersen, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – El Dorado County Foothills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.