Plan D: Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes (Even If You Don’t Have It) is a fun, enlightening approach to living a healthful life. Even if you don’t have diabetes, author Sherri Shepherd’s approach to living healthfully is practical and attainable.
Sherri Shepherd grew up in the south side of Chicago, in a neighborhood where diabetes was almost the norm. In her family alone, her mother, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, plus her neighbors, seemingly everyone eventually got diabetes. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites, and it wasn’t uncommon in Shepherd’s neighborhood to see people with amputated limbs, people with serious vision problems and heart disease, to say nothing of early deaths. She thought her mother’s fatigue, lack of energy and irritability were normal. Her mother died from complications of diabetes when only forty-one. The disease was called “the sugar.” It’s hard to get too upset by something with such a sweet name.
In the book Shepherd describes her childhood and early adulthood. She found she could “fit in” by being funny–a talent that took her into adulthood as a stand-up comedian by night and working at a law firm by day. As a young adult, she lived a fast life and had some risky relationships. As it turned out, her most dangerous relationship was with food. At 5’1″ Shepherd could pack on weight easily, and, as a younger woman, could take it off fairly quickly. This yo-yo cycle of binging and starving played havoc not only with her health, but with her emotional well-being as well.
She married, had a baby and was soon offered the enviable position as cohost on the television show The View. In the meantime, she had been diagnosed with pre diabetes, but ignored all the warning signs and advice that might have prevented the full-blown disease. Inevitably, after many scary and telling symptoms, she was diagnosed with diabetes. Finally, a crises occurred that made her look at her life and her responsibilities as a mother.
The book outlines a practical, healthy way to live. She describes in detail how a diabetic can prepare foods ahead of time for quick healthy meals. Exercise, vital to anyone, but especially to a diabetic, can be snatched from spare moments–it isn’t necessary to have gym membership.
Plan D isn’t only for diabetics or pre diabetics. It’s an enjoyable read for anyone wanting a healthy lifestyle. Shepherd’s writing is candid, fun and funny. For readers serious about changing their lives for the better, or even just looking for new ideas for healthy living, I highly recommend Plan D: Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes. The book is available in paper and ebook formats.