As we strut headfirst towards London Fashion Week (16 – 20th September), we managed to grab 5 minutes with model, blogger, nutritionist and founder of Qnola, Danielle Copperman, to ask her how women, whose careers depend on the health and appearance of their bodies, handle that time of the month.
Do you get embarrassed when talking about periods?
I used to but I’m becoming more open to talking about it, especially as I develop a strong female community around me. My friends and I talk about it all the time. It’s really healthy to know what’s going on with my friends and their cycles, because it puts me at ease if there are any anomalies in my own. I am increasingly fascinated by our bodies’ clever natural cycles and as I learn more about the earth and its cycles for my work (on a nutritional level), I start to understand how the earths cycles (moon and seasons) affect our own biological cycles. It’s amazing!
Are there any ‘tricks of the trade’ that models use or advice you can offer for that time of the month?
Drink lots of water, stretch more, add seaweed into your diet (it’s so high in iron!), cleanse and use natural beauty products to reduce the risk of breakouts. I also like to add aloe vera juice, goji berries and linseeds to smoothies to protect my skin. It’s important to make time for journaling/ reflection/ gratitude diaries and meditation, to help deal with hormonal lows and mood swings.
What do you do if you have a big shoot or catwalk coming up and your period starts?
I concentrate mostly on diet and resting a lot, in order to reduce bloating.
Do you have any other top tips for dealing with period pain or bloating?
I’m yet to find the best cure! For pain I usually use heat, essential oils or tiger palm to sooth the inflamed area but for bloating, when it comes to having my period I find it pretty unavoidable! I do try to balance water and salt intake more to reduce water retention though.
With Qnola, you obviously promote healthy eating and using lots of natural ingredients. How far does this conscious extend to the other products you use?
All the way! I use all natural beauty products as much as possible, and of course ethical and safe femcare products during my period. I use natural aromatherapy as air fresheners and natural ingredients to clean the house. Once you discover our connection with the earth, and the power of its provisions, it seems an odd and unhealthy decision to use commercial products high in toxins and dangerous chemicals.
Check out TOTM’s range of organic cotton tampons, pads and liners here.
Qnola is a range of nutritionally enhanced breakfast goods, free from gluten, grains, dairy and refined sugar. Now available in selected Waitrose stores across the UK.
