Kate Hudson is best known for her comedic timing but the actress is aiming to help her fans find happiness in an unexpected way – with her book on holistic health and self-love.
Kate Hudson is best known for her comedic timing but the actress is aiming to help her fans find happiness in an unexpected way – with her book on holistic health and self-love.
Life imitates art when it comes to Kate Hudson. It’s been 16 years since she bounced onto the big screen and into our hearts with her brilliant turn as the deeply mysterious yet effortlessly disarming Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Just like her character in that movie, Kate is a muse of our times. And while she’s lent her enigmatic presence to comedy after comedy, the 37-yearold has now set her sights on the grittier side of filmmaking with her latest edge-ofyour- seat disaster project, Deepwater Horizon.
Based on the real-life drama surrounding the BP oil spill in 2010 off the Gulf of Mexico, Kate will be playing wife to Mark Wahlberg’s oil rig engineer at the centre of the film’s plot. Her adopted father, Kurt Russell, the longtime partner to mum Goldie Hawn, is also attached to the picture and this will be the first time that the actors will play opposite each other on the silver screen. “We had one moment, not even a scene, just where I hug him,” she laughs, “but we are in the same movie, which is really fun and we will do press conferences together and I am sure we will travel together, which will be awesome”.
Despite the dizzying fame surrounding her parents, Kate and her brothers enjoyed a happy childhood, equipping her today with the skills to juggle her own career while raising sons Ryder, 12, from her six-year marriage to Black Crowes rocker Chris Robinson, and four-yearold Bingham from her four-year relationship with Muse singer Matthew Bellamy.
Kate is adamant about raising her children in much a similar way and not spoiling them. Her honest, earthy approach to motherhood applies right down to her thoughts on parent-teacher conferences.
“It’s not really my favourite thing. I love to see what my kids are doing, but I’d rather be with my kids than be with the parents of the kids. I want to go see my kids’ science projects but I don’t really want to have a coffee with teachers. That’s how I feel about it!” she reveals.
The fitness enthusiast has taken this same refreshingly honest point of view with her new book, Pretty Happy: The Healthy Way To Love Your Body. Having one of the best bodies in Hollywood, it’s just the thing for Kate to put out. “I get asked a lot of questions about health, and what do you eat and where do you work out, and how you do this and that,” she explains. “I feel it’s irresponsible of me to just say those things in interviews because people may think that’s what they should do to be fit or to be happy. It’s just unrealistic.”
The book, which became an instant bestseller when it was launched in the US earlier this year, is an insightful and personal look at health from the inside out. “Part of my approach for wanting to start that dialogue with fans through the book was to be really honest about what I’ve learned over the years. I think we can try to sort of beat down people’s throats an idea of what they should do, eat, wear or look. But at the end of the day, I don’t think that’s going to really help in motivating people to shift and change their lifestyle.”
With her book, Kate has set out to help others develop a better idea of health and happiness. “Instead of trying to figure out, ‘Okay, what can I do?’, ask yourself, ‘How do you feel? Are you connecting with yourself? What do you want to do?’ Take a second, slow everything down, and connect with your own spirit and with what makes you feel good.”
It’s this very same attitude to life that’s led Kate to a newer, calmer place. Who would have thought that Kate could ever have felt insecure, having what seemed like the perfect life in glossy Hollywood. “I’ve always felt I’ve had a really lucky life,” she admits. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t still have some sort of emotional obstacles to overcome. I think that part of growing up is facing up to some of those things and taking accountability for your actions.
” For now, much of Kate’s focus remains on her boys, and she credits Goldie and Kurt for teaching her about parenting. “They just wanted their kids to be happy and to have a solid work ethic." And those are the two things that have rubbed off on the star.
'I’ve always felt I’ve had a really lucky life. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still have emotional obstacles to overcome'
Kate’s Hot-Bod Tips
Kate, who grew up dancing, has an enviable figure. She shares, “Exercise is important for your energy and well-being.” Her love of working out even led her to start her own line of activewear, Fabletics, in 2013. “If we stay fit and eat better, we’re going to have a more optimistic and beautiful life!” Here are her five tips to staying happy and healthy:
1. Go Alkaline Kate is an advocate for healthy eating. The actress favours an alkaline diet, which goes heavy on vegetables and fruits, soybeans and tofu, and some nuts, seeds and legumes. Dairy is off-limits for her, as is red meat and most grains.
2. Love Your Shape An avid yoga and Pilates practitioner, Kate says she honours her body by working out and seeing what it can do. She’s also big on the power of self-love and hopes that her fitness wear line, Fabletics, will motivate women to love their bodies as much as she loves hers.
3. Be Disciplined Kate is a firm believer in constant practice because eating healthy, working out and being active all take a certain amount of discipline before you can reap its rewards.
4. Stay Hydrated Kate says when in doubt, reach for water. Not only will water keep you hydrated, it will also power you up so you can keep on sweating! Her advice? Avoid beverages like fruit juices and soda, which are loaded with empty calories.
5. Try A Detox Feeling sluggish and out of sorts? Kate turns to detoxing whenever she needs to reset her body, but warns that while elimination cleanses and a juice detox can do wonders, don’t go crazy and starve yourself. Remember that a detox is about balancing the body to prepare for a healthier new you!
Deepwater Horizon opens on September 29, 2016, in cinemas islandwide.
