"Since November I've been on a health kick," she told Manchester Evening News. "I've done most of this year with zero alcohol at all and training. I've not been filming so I thought while I'm not working I'm going to concentrate on getting myself fit and healthy and mentally well because I've had such a hard time."
"I'm still fighting this divorce. This is three and half years and the only way for me to be mentally and physically fit is to take up mindfulness, take up hypnosis, to literally cut out anything that's unhealthy. So I don't have any alcohol and I eat very little carbs. But I can't give up chocolate."
"When we filmed it's very social and I'd think 'oh I'll have a glass of champagne' so while I'm not working there's no point," she continued. "I'm being really healthy, lots of fish and vegetables, juicing and I can feel the benefits."
"This journey has been so difficult and I've been so lucky to have the most gorgeous friends and the girls in the show have all been amazing and supportive," she said. "If I hadn't had the support from my family and my close friends I don't think I'd still be standing."
"I needed to take time out and actually look after me. If I'm not well how can I look after my family?," she explained. "I just felt like I needed to take a break, try and relax and through that I've tried yoga, and I have to hold my hands up, I hate it."
Lauren also reveals that former co-star Perla Navia wants to to try yoga. "Perla is trying to get me to do it with her and I will get there one day but every time I go to yoga I fall asleep.
"I've found mindfulness and hypnosis really helpful. I would say to anybody who is going through any trauma or any difficult situations, hypnosis talks to the subconscious part of the brain. It's actually got me through to where I need to be."
"I'm hoping that my children and myself move on and move forward in a positive way."
Lauren also shares an update on her relationship with ITVBe since exiting the hit reality series. "I've got a very good support network and the show have been amazingly supportive for me they've kept in touch, made sure I'm okay and I've only got positive things to say about my job," she told Manchester Evening News.
Lauren says it was at her request that her exit wasn't mentioned in the ninth series of the hit reality series. "It was my request, because the court process is still going on, for me not to be spoken about on the television," she explained.
Lauren explains she decided to walk away from the series because she wanted time to heal and focus on her ongoing divorce. She also mentions that she didn't want her children seeing her discussing her issues with their father, her estranged husband Paul.
"I didn't want my children to turn on the TV and see me crying and upset and just saying negative things."
Lauren is looking forward to the future. "I'm hoping for the future, once this is all over, 2020 will be a different year, " she said. "It's got to finish sometime. I'm hoping by 2020 the doors are closed and I can move forward to whatever's next."
Lauren admits she's looking for new opportunities. "I'd love to do Dancing On Ice. I did audition last year but I didn't get the part. I'd like to be on Loose Women."
Lauren admitted that she has no plans to return to RHOCheshire. "I've just taken a year off to heal. I think was running on zero and I didn't have anything to give back to the show and I was so mentally exhausted, and tired and drained that I couldn't have worked," she told Manchester Evening News.
"I was putting on a brave face filming but slowly it was starting to bother me more and more," she added. "There's no plan to go back. The plan for me is to spend the rest of the year working with the charity."
Photo Credit: ITVBe
