Lo Bosworth reflects on the 'trauma' and 'privilege' of being on 'Laguna Beach'

In a new series, USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives.

Lo Bosworth is in her wellness era.

The former reality TV show starlet, who spent her youth in front of MTV cameras on "Laguna Beach" and its spinoff "The Hills," has transformed her life to be consumed by, well, what she consumes. Whether it's the foods she's eating or the supplements she's created with her Love Wellness brand, Bosworth is constantly analyzing what she puts in (and on) her body.

"I really like to structure my day around a wellness routine or a self-care routine," she says, adding with a laugh, "Whether I'm at work or I'm at home, wellness seems to be a part of most of my day, regardless of what I'm doing."

The businesswoman and reality star dishes on her favorite breakfast food, "Laguna Beach" turning 20 and how she winds down for the day.

'Laguna Beach' turns 20: Lo Bosworth has thoughts

For early aughts MTV fans, Bosworth and her Southern California classmates found fame on "Laguna Beach," which chronicled their senior year of high school. Alongside star Lauren Conrad, Bosworth also starred in the glitzy and dramatic reality show "The Hills," following their move to Los Angeles.

Bosworth sees her reality TV trajectory through a slightly different lens now with the benefit of time removed from a camera thrust into her personal life.

"I have developed a much healthier relationship with my own reality TV experience than the one I had a number of years ago," she says. "I think right when I came off the show, there was definitely some trauma that we all had to work through. I think it's not normal to be on TV, to have millions of people see you, and to have to absorb all of that energy and their opinions can be challenging. As I have grown into an adult, I think I have a much better perspective on it.

"I'm able to understand how the experience has benefited me to a degree that I can't even really communicate, (and) the amount of privilege that I have on an every single day because of the show."

"Laguna" and "The Hills" has become comfort TV for millennials and those rediscovering the shows thanks to streaming. Bosworth's comfort watches don't dip into the reality realm, but they span the gamut.

"I love 'Seinfeld.' I love 'Sex and the City.' And maybe not comfort TV, but my favorite TV show right now is 'Killing Eve.' I've seen it before and this is like my third time rewatching it," she says. "I think my comfort TV is any show I've seen before, just knowing what's gonna happen."

Lo Bosworth's morning routine includes a daily walk and this food

Bosworth kicks off her morning with activity – and coffee, of course.

"When I first wake up in the morning, I have a puppy and so we always get out there for a nice walk around a couple of blocks," she says. "One of the reasons I got my dog was to improve my mental health and wellbeing, and it really just helps you so much. Having a reason to get up and get out of the house every day because of that little doggie has really fundamentally changed my life for the better.

"I always start my day with a coffee of some kind," she says. "My go-to coffee is just drip coffee with half and half, and heavy on the half and half.

"I've done every kind of diet you possibly could. What really works for me is focusing on high protein with healthy carbohydrates. I typically have cottage cheese with a little bit of toast on the side, or cottage cheese with some fruit thrown in (or) vegetables thrown in. You could do cottage cheese 100 different ways. My favorite way is cottage cheese with sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, some everything bagel seasoning on top and a little drizzle of olive oil. Delicious."

Winding down includes hydrotherapy, 'everything shower'

After a long day working at her Love Wellness office in New York ("I love going to work on those days that we go into the office. I'm so happy to have a routine, to have a normal schedule, to put on real clothes," she says), Bosworth spends her evenings unwinding.

"When I come home, that's when I really lean into my wellness hours. Not minutes, not an hour: hours. Truly most of the evening is spent on wellness in some capacity. I'm a big fan of either an 'everything shower,' a really long bath, or sitting in the steam room."

Bosworth, who recently partnered with shave brand BIC Soleil Escape for the launch of their limited-edition 5 Senses Shave Kit, likes her showers to be a total sensory experience, complete with music (ideally country music), eucalyptus wafting through the air and mocktails on hand to enhance the self-care special.

"I am also a card carrying member of like the serious bathers club," Bosworth says. "I'll take a bath for an hour. I'll take a bath before work, I'll come home and take a bath after work. I'm all about hydrotherapy in any form."

How Lo Bosworth gets 10 hours of sleep nightly

Bosworth also indulges in the luxury many are unable to master: sleep.

"My best tip is get as much sleep as possible. I get 10 hours of sleep every single night. I make it a priority. I'm like, 'It's 9 o'clock, it's time to get into bed and it's time to put my phone down.' I am a master at putting down my phone."

Lo Bosworth on Love Wellness, advocating for women's health

"If I could go back in time and I was never on a reality TV show, I would have been a doctor," Bosworth says.

Her reality background, however, helped provide the platform to create her women's wellness brand, Love Wellness, which helped launch a conversation (and products, her favorite of which is Bye Bye Bloat) around women's health that wasn't being had at a mainstream level in 2016.

"I got laughed at, criticized, made fun of," Bosworth says, but "I'm deeply, deeply passionate about health care for women."

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lo Bosworth: 'Laguna Beach' star spills on Love Wellness, reality TV