We Need to Talk, with Toni Street: Kate Hawkesby on getting Covid, nutrition and epigenetics

Kate Hawkesby. Photo / Michael Craig

In this episode of We Need To Talk, Toni Street catches up with Newstalk ZB host and contributor Kate Hawkesby.

Kate, who is passionate about wellness, opens up about getting sick with Covid-19 and shares her experience with epigenetics - the study of how your behaviours and environment can can changes that affect the way your genes work.

During the chat, Toni and Kate look back over the last couple of years and Kate's journey in the wellness space, particularly with epigenetics, which she did through the Edison Clinic.

"Epigenetics is basically just the ability to turn genes on or off," she explains.

"It's really interesting the stuff you find. You might carry stuff from your parents, like high blood pressure, but never turn that gene on. Once you have the information, it empowers you to make those choices for yourself."

In the episode, Kate also tells Toni about how "bummed" she felt when she caught Covid-19, two years into the pandemic.

"I was so bummed because I was on such a deep dive down this rabbit hole of wellness and felt I was doing everything right," she says.

"After two years, I thought 'I might get away with this, I might just not get it at all'. I was getting probably a bit too smug and sure enough that second wave hit. Marley brought it home from school and we were down like a sack of hammers.

"I was really bummed about how hard it hit me and how sick I got. I got the flu on top of that."

The radio host found it "mentally quite challenging to feel so unwell when you're someone who likes to feel well all the time and works quite hard at it".

There are many facets to wellness and fitness and not everything works for everyone. For Kate, the secret is to really "drill down on what makes you you".

"We're all unique. Being your own best advocate is the best thing I can suggest. Find what works for you. What's unique about you that makes you tick? Do that."

Listen to the full episode below: