Bethenny Frankel is doing what she can to stay healthy amid her battle with chronic kidney disease.
“I slept an extraordinary amount this weekend. You need the sleep because you get exhausted, and then you get dehydrated because you’ve slept so much, and it’s a constant battling of the drinking of the water and then you’re peeing, it’s a lot, to be honest,” Frankel, 55, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting Yasso’s Foolproof Freezer campaign for their Frozen Greek Yogurt Spoonables.
Frankel added that she struggles to cope with her kidney disease as a mother to her daughter, Bryn, who turns 16 in May.
“It’s kind of a little bit ahead of me. And so, I’m at a certain age, and I’m thinking about my health and thinking about my daughter. I’m having a little anxiety,” she continued. “It’s not the best. It’s fine.”
Bethenny Frankel Cuts Her Face Open With New Skincare Product: ‘So Scary’
Frankel said her biggest priority regarding her health is making sure she stays hydrated. (Severe dehydration can lead to kidney damage, while maintaining proper hydration in early stages of kidney disease can aid in waste removal, according to the National Kidney Foundation.)
“I’m kind of being more non-negotiable about the hydration through water and hydration electrolyte, packets and my water has become like a smoothie,” the Real Housewives of New York alum told Us. “It’s like, what’s in this water to make it the most maximized?”
Frankel continued, “The doctor was like, ‘Water is your medicine.’ So it’s annoying, because it’s always there. And it feels weird, like, sometimes I’m in the car and I’m taking it with me. I’m almost taking it into a restaurant. So, I feel like a weirdo. You know what I mean? … If I’m being honest, like, I’m doing the best that I can. I want to exercise, but I get super dehydrated. I want to sleep, and I get super dehydrated. … I can be the face of dehydration. I literally could be, like, the international spokesperson for being the thirstiest bitch ever.”
Frankel revealed in January that she was diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease after a blood test revealed she had “low” kidney function.
“[The doctor] said it could be a function of this traumatic experience I had years ago when I almost died from an allergy attack,” she explained in an Instagram video. “It could have done damage to the kidney. It could be autoimmune.”
Frankel shared an update in February, telling fans that her kidney disease was actually stage 3A, meaning mild to moderate kidney function loss, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Her doctor encouraged her to increase her water intake, as she is not yet at the point where she needs medication to manage the illness.
Bethenny Frankel Admits She ‘Can’t Bring’ Herself to Try Dating Again
“I’m not going to be alarmed yet, and we’ll keep drinking water. He said it’s the most important thing,” she added.
Frankel is also mindful of what she eats, which is why she loves Yasso products. The brand is giving away 40,001 Frozen Greek Yogurt Spoonables to consumers who have fallen victim to freezer fraud from chalky and disappointing frozen snacks. From March 31 to April 30, consumers can visit yasso.com/FoolproofFreezer for a chance to enter to claim their Spoonables.
“This is a high-quality product,” Frankel told Us. “It’s got protein, which people are liking. So, you’re investing. People are obsessed with protein. It’s not an empty-calorie sort of situation. It’s got a really reasonable 370 calories for a whole [cookies and cream] container. It shouldn’t be the headline, because I don’t think people should be overly calorie-focused, but calorie-aware, and it’s real food, and it’s delicious, and my daughter and I eat some every night. Once in a while, we go through the bars, the hard dark chocolate, crispy bars. It’s a great brand, an awesome product.”
