BikiniBrawn catches up with Irish Beauty Holly Carpenter

She is young, beautiful and loves to train. So obviously we wanted to feature her here on BikiniBrawn. You may know Holly's face from many Irish publications like Fit magazine, Life magazine, The sun newspaper and many many more, you may also recognize her for her role on Britain and Ireland's next top model. Holly caused quite a stir on the show and was one of the stand out contestants, she also show cased on BINTM one hell of a body. We were keen to get the full low down from holly on her opinions and thoughts on health and fitness and also see if we could squeeze some tips out of her. The Andrea Roche model is hugely vocal on social media about her love for fitness, healthy baking and Paleo foods, she actually loves it so much she also started her own Blog.
Check out our interview and also follow the links below to see holly's blog.

Name : Holly Carpenter

Age : 22

Occupation : model

Favourite style of training : Short intense sessions

Funniest tweet you have ever seen : The Will Ferrell parody account always makes me laugh! (@itsWillyFerrell)

Your all time favourite beauty product : Fake up concealer by Benefit

A word or phrase you say way to much : Dream

Something on your to do list : Update my blog

Thank you so much for talking time to chat with us here at BikiniBrawn, It is well known

you are a huge health freak, which we absolutely love . We always see you posting on

Facebook and Twitter about going training, eating Paleo or promoting interviews in

the Irish press where you discuss health and Fitness. Do you see yourself as a role

model and is this why you are so vocal about health or is it just a personal interest that

you enjoy talking about ?

I've only gotten into fitness and healthy eating in the last 2 years so I love learning more about it and sharing any tips or recipes I come across. Since I wrote about the paleo diet in the Sunday Independent Life Magazine a year ago it has become a lot more popular in Ireland. I like to think I can be a good role model for other girls because I'm honest about my diet and exercise regime. I love hearing back from girls on Twitter who follow the paleo diet too because of me.

What is your opinion of High fashion models and size zero bodies ? 

I'm really thankful that the fashion industry here in Ireland prefers to go with healthy and fit looking girls. However I think the 'size zero' issue got a bit out of hand in the likes on London and New York, but in the last couple of years the attitude towards body image has changed and I'm glad to see the likes of Vogue magazine come out and say they won't use size zero models.

Holly on the Cover of Fit magazine Ireland 

How did you prepare for Britain and Ireland's next top model. Did you feel extra pressure to be Thin taking part in such a huge modelling show. Did you train harder than ever or change your diet in any way ?

I found out that I had been chosen for the show in November and I knew that filming started in February, so I trained like an animal with my trainer Sophie Kavanagh. I wanted to make sure I was full confident with my body before I stepped on the plane. Sophie kept saying to me while we were training "Imagine how hard those other girls are working in the gym right now!" to keep me motivated and competitive.

It is well known that the pressures of International modelling are much greater abroad, Did you notice this while you were living in the BINTM house ?

I felt a lot of pressure while living in the house. It's hard not to compare yourself to the other girls while you're all living together. There was no gym in the house, we weren't allowed leave for a run and the house was filled with unhealthy food and treats. I found it really difficult keeping my diet 100% clean because after a long day of shooting on a freezing beach they'd bring Nandos and chocolate to the set. That was annoying.

Holly below looking stunning on the cover of 'LIFE' magazine 
How to Get thin 

Do you think Ireland as a culture are more accepting of curves or possibly not as health conscience, Whats your opinion ?

I think the Irish are accepting of curves, but are very quick to tell someone they're 'too skinny' yet when when someone is overweight no one tells them they should get healthier and lose a bit. It's hard to have the right balance but we are slowly becoming a healthier nation.  

How do you deal with date nights ? Do you like to treat yourself every now and again or do you

still follow a strict diet when you are out for dinner.

I plan my cheat nights quite strategically so if it's not a cheat night then I won't go to a restaurant where there's nothing I can eat.

What would be a typical day in the life for Holly with regards Meals and Diet ?

The night before bed I usually make my food for the next day which involves cooking chicken breasts and vegetables and packing it up into containers. I often leave the house very early and then I'm out for the day at the gym and different jobs so I need to make sure I have food with me to eat on the go. I try not to go more than 3 hours without eating, even if it's just a small snack or a protein shake.


Holly Below in Stellar Magazine 

Do you have a fitness secret, whether its a food, a training technique, maybe a secret your learnt through the years of modelling ?

Chia seeds are amazing. I put them on everything, they keep you fuller for longer. Also since I started drinking 3L of water a day and taking vitamin D my skin has improved a crazy amount.

Holly's Chia Seed Pudding below ( You can get the full recipe on her Blog / Link below )

What advise would you give to people reading who might suffer with insecurities about their body ?

Love and take care of your body. I find it hard to sympathize with people who complain about they're figure or about gaining weight when they never exercise or lead a healthy lifestyle. Abs are made in the kitchen so even if you're working out in the gym you can't expect to see changes if you're chowing down on a greasy take away afterwards.

How do you stay motivated ?

Rather than looking at pictures of supermodels to motivate me, I look at pictures of myself when I may have felt really confident with my body. When I look at a few of my shots from Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model, I remember how good I felt about myself and I hold onto that feeling to motivate me.

How do you approach exercise ? Would you be someone who likes to run , Mountain Hike , Maybe a Gym bunny, or are you someone who works better with a trainer ?

I hate running! I run like Phoebe from 'Friends' and I just get self conscious. I'm a gym bunny and I know I wouldn't train half as much as I do if it wasn't for my trainer Sophie! I need someone standing over me, pushing me to my limit. Otherwise I'll just do about 5 minutes and then get distracted!

Do you take any Protein, Vitamins or supplements ? If the answer is yes which brands and why do you take?

I use Sunwarrior Vegan protein because I avoid proteins that contain way to many different types of sweeteners. I also take cod liver oil and D3 with each meal.

Sun Warrior Available in most health food stores around Ireland

http://www.sunwarrior.ie/

Lastly, Tell us a little bit about your blog and why you decided to start it ?

I wrote a few articles for the Sunday Independent Life magazine and I got a great response.  A lot of people told me they found it inspiring and I should start a blog! I need to update it more often though. It's hard to find the time but when I sit down and write I really enjoy it!

You can follow Holly in both her career and her Blog in the Links below :

Holly Carpenter Blog http://hollycarpenterblog.com/

Twitter :  https://twitter.com/Holly0910