‘Vulnerable’ Bethenny Frankel details symptoms of ‘frightening’ chronic kidney disease

Since announcing her chronic kidney disease diagnosis in January, Bethenny Frankel has made it a point to urge her fans to “please get tested.”

The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum is now detailing the symptoms that prompted her to heed the advice she now gives.

“For years, I was experiencing a lot of dehydration, a lot of dizziness, low blood pressure,” Frankel, 55, explained to Page Six in an exclusive interview, lamenting that her symptoms ended up getting “way more intense.”

She admitted that “the internet” diagnosing her with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) inspired her to seek medical attention and ultimately learn that she has stage 3a chronic kidney disease, which is characterized by mild to moderate kidney function loss.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, stage 3a chronic kidney disease patients have an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 45 and 59 for a minimum of three months.

“To hear a doctor give you a real diagnosis with a name and a number is, like, overwhelming. Slightly frightening,” Frankel confessed as she touched on how her health issue has affected her mentally and emotionally.

“If I’m gonna be fully transparent, it’s annoying. It’s, like, a thing. It makes you feel vulnerable, makes you feel a little fragile, makes you feel aware. You know, you have a daughter, you want to be healthy for her,” she said in reference to 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” via lifestyle choices. (She previously shared that she’s “not quite” in need of medication.)

“It’s little things, like peeing the second that you wake up, that you think about it. That’s one. That water is your medicine,” the Skinnygirl founder explained.

“And now my water has become the vessel for everything to be in it to hydrate and be functional. Like, my water has become a functional smoothie at this point. It’s not because it has milk in it or anything, it’s just because what packets are in there, what Celtic salt, what things.”

She’s been trying to be “more hyper-vigilant and aware” without “getting hysterical.”

As a trained natural foods chef who went on to launch a hugely successful company of “better-for-you” food and beverage options, Frankel has always prioritized “making good choices.”

“I’m a person that has come up through every era of the fake food, the fat-free crap, the airy frozen dessert that the whole container is air and gives you a stomach ache,” said the businesswoman, who recently made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue debut.

That’s why it was a no-brainer for her to team up with frozen Greek yogurt brand Yasso to promote their new line of “Spoonables,” which promises an ice cream-like experience with up to 19 grams of protein and 410 calories or less per container.

“When I saw the containers, the flavors, the quality, the protein, the good investment, it kind of aligns with what I wrote about in ‘Naturally Thin‘: good-investment foods, good quality versus quantity, not really fake foods, eat foods with ingredients you can pronounce. There’s a lot of alignment,” she told us.

“The flavors are amazing, and the product tastes incredible. It has to taste good. My daughter and I are obsessed,” she added, noting that the product also helps her combat the food and beverage industry’s “gimmicks” being marketed toward teens and young adults.

Mid-conversation, Frankel held up her large iced coffee and divulged that she had given it a little extra oomph by adding a scoop of Yasso’s coffee chocolate chip-flavored Spoonable. She described the “supermodel snack” as “insane.”

“The chocolate pieces on the bottom are coming up in the straw at the end. It’s really good. You should do it,” she insisted.

In honor of April Fool’s Day, Yasso is giving away 40,001 Spoonables to anyone personally victimized by freezer fraud.

For a chance to claim your next sweet treat, visit Yasso.com/FoolproofFreezer between March 9 and April 9.