Sherri Shepherd Reveals Her Secrets to Bliss: Live in the Moment, Be Healthy and More!

Sherri Shepherd has a hit talk show, successful career and a new lease on life after vowing to dedicate herself to exercise, healthy eating and reducing her stress to keep her type 2 diabetes in check.

"Diabetes isn't something you can leave to chance," the Sherri host, 47, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2007, said. "When I'm not eating right, I don't feel good and I don't smile. You have to be intentional about doing things."

Here are Sheperd's secrets to leading a happier, more fulfilled life!

One of Shepherd's nighttime rituals is texting her love to family and keeping a journal. “I want them to know that I am thinking about them at that moment,” she said. “I write about things I want to happen as though they are happening. I write things like, I am loving that I feel and look great. Or I am loving that my son, Jeffrey, who is on the spectrum, is finally independent. I manifest happiness in the moment.”

“One of my friends once told me, ‘You’re so busy, but you want to create a life, not just make a living.’ I’m lucky. My work makes me smile. And when you’re happy, it filters out toxic things. I’ve had a lot of the same friends for over 25 years. Friendships are so grounding, and it’s those things that create a great life," she explained.

“Given what I do, you wouldn’t think it, but it took years for me to gain self-confidence," Shepherd admitted. "Growing up, I was very scared to ask questions of anyone and did not have very high self-esteem. But I’d say my self-confidence comes in part from having to advocate for my son. That made me brave. And like my grandmother always said, ‘If you don’t ask, the answer is already a no.’"

“Since my diabetes diagnosis, I’ve become more mindful of what I eat,” Shepherd said. Instead of a chocolate bar for an afternoon snack, she reaches for a handful of almonds and has also traded watermelon, mangoes and grapes for the antioxidant benefits of blueberries. “For the first time, I made a mixture of cottage cheese, blueberries and cinnamon — and it’s delicious!”

“Ten minutes of morning prayer and meditation is a good way to destress,” she said. “Prayer is when I talk to God and meditation is when I listen. That alleviates a lot of the stress.”