Her love affair with the study of health and nutrition began at an early age. After years of being chronically ill as a child with ruptured eardrums and digestive problems, Cheri began wondering how poor nutrition might be connected to her illnesses. At the age of twelve she began spending hours upon hours in the local library perusing nutrition books and medical texts, seeking ways to regain her health. She gave up sugar, refined flour, dairy and fried foods, which was a challenge due to the nature of her Midwestern farm-raised mother’s cooking. After several months of changing her dietary habits, all of her symptoms disappeared. This experience ultimately led her to Loma Linda Medical School, and she began to learn more about preventing disease rather than simply treating symptoms.