Since announcing her chronic kidney disease diagnosis in January, Bethenny Frankel has been urging fans to get tested.
The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum is now detailing the symptoms that led her to follow the advice she gives.
“For years, I was experiencing severe dehydration, dizziness, and low blood pressure,” Frankel, 55, explained in an exclusive interview with Page Six, lamenting that her symptoms had become “much more intense.”
She admitted that the “internet” that diagnosed her with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) led her to see a doctor and eventually learn that she had stage 3a chronic kidney disease, which is characterized by mild to moderate loss of kidney function.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, patients with stage 3a chronic kidney disease have an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 45 to 59 for a minimum of 3 months.
“Hearing a doctor give you a real diagnosis with a name and number is overwhelming. It’s a little scary,” Frankel confessed, referring to how her health issues have affected her mentally and emotionally.
“If I’m going to be completely transparent, it’s annoying. It’s kind of the thing. It makes you feel vulnerable, it makes you feel a little bit fragile, it makes you conscious. You know, you have a daughter, you want to be healthy for her,” she said of her only child, 15-year-old Bryn.
But Frankel made sure to point out that stage 3a chronic kidney disease can and should be “managed” through lifestyle choices. (She previously said medication was not needed “at all.”)
“The minute you wake up, you think about something as simple as peeing. That’s one thing. That water is your medicine,” the Skinny Girl founder explained.
“And now my water has become a vessel for everything in it to stay hydrated and function. For example, at this point my water has become a functional smoothie. It’s not because it has milk in it or anything. It’s just what packs are in it, what Celtic salts are in it, what things are in it.”
She is trying to “not become hysterical” and “be more alert and aware.”
A trained whole foods chef who went on to launch a highly successful company offering “better-for-you” food and beverage options, Frankel has always prioritized “making good choices.”
“I’m someone who’s lived through every era of fake food, fat-free crap, and fluffy frozen desserts where the entire container is filled with air and makes you sick to your stomach,” said the businesswoman, who recently made her debut in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue.
That’s why it made sense for her to partner with frozen Greek yogurt brand Yasso to promote Spoonables, a new product that promises an ice cream-like experience with up to 19 grams of protein and less than 410 calories per container.
“When you look at packaging, flavor, quality, protein, good investment, it’s kind of consistent with what I wrote about in ‘Naturally Thin,’ which is to eat food that’s investment-friendly, quality and quantity, food that has ingredients that you can pronounce, not fake fakes. There’s a lot of agreement,” she told us.
“The flavor is amazing and the taste of the product is incredible. It has to be delicious. My daughter and I are hooked,” she added, noting that the product also helps combat the “gimmicks” in the food and beverage industry that are marketed to teens and young adults.
During the conversation, Frankel held up a large iced coffee and revealed that he added a scoop of Yasso Coffee Chocolate Chip Flavored Spoonables to give it a little more oomph. She described the “supermodel snacks” as “insane”.
“The chocolate pieces at the bottom come up into the straw at the end. It’s really delicious. You should try it,” she insisted.
To celebrate April Fool’s Day, Yasso is giving away 40,001 Spoonables to those who fell for the freezer scam.
Visit Yasso.com/FoolproofFreezer between March 31st and April 30th for your chance to win your next sweet treat.
