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With over five decades of acting and dancing under her belt, Allen has learned a thing or two about her body. “It’s very important that everybody moves, that they have some sort of physical activity several times a week,” Allen says (here’show much exercise you should be getting every week). She sees movement as a way to check in with her body. “You can find that, oh well, that hurt my hip, or oh, I feel tired after two minutes,” she says. Even just going up a flight of stairs can help you check in with yourself. “I go up steps all day every day here atGrey’s Anatomyand it’s kind of a little challenge for all of us—who can run up the steps and not be so winded?”
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“You have to take time to assess yourself,” she says. “That means taking a moment for yourself, which a lot of people don’t do—I know that I have to make myself do it. But it’s important. You have to know your body and your mental state so that you can tell if there is some change in the dynamic of your physical being on a daily basis.”
For Allen, being this attuned to her body also means staying on top of health risks. Type 2 diabetes runs in her family, and so she has always known she is at risk of developing it. Because of this, she keeps an eye on what she eats, avoiding too much cholesterol and salt, and finds ways to balance foods she enjoys with those that are healthy. (Try thesehealthy diabetes-friendly recipes.)
“Look, on Super Bowl Sunday, you know I’ll be eatingfried chicken, but you can’t eat that every day. You have to do it in moderation,” she says. “I’ve always been one to love vegetables and salads,” she says, adding that she also tends to cook with more olive oil, and avoid most red meat.
Last summer, Allen was diagnosed with prediabetes, and she didn’t skip a beat: “Actually, I have been looking for it all my life, because I know it runs in my family. This past summer when I was diagnosed, I was like, OK, let’s really pull out the gloves and get going. It wasn’t a surprise, but it’s always a call for action.”
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Learning about the tests available to her was a game-changer, and she realized she wanted to help raise awareness of them for others. “After learning of my diagnosis, I wanted to do my part to help others with clear, actionable steps. Too many people don’t know that living with type 2 diabetes can lead to chronic kidney disease and life-threatening complications,” says Allen.
This month, Allen has teamed up with theNational Kidney Foundationand Bayer for a new phase of the public awareness campaign about chronic kidney disease called “Are You the 33%?” The campaign name refers to the fact that 1 in 3 adults are at risk for developing chronic kidney disease, a risk factor that is higher in those with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
In addition to becoming a spokesperson for the campaign, Allen continues to spread her personal mission of dance and movement through social media. Since the start of the pandemic, Allen has been offering a free dance class every Wednesday on Instagram Live at@theRealDebbieAllen, which she encourages everyone to join. “Just find a way to get that little bit of exercise several times a week, you gotta do it. Just get off your butt and move,” she says with a smile.
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