Nick Cannon sits at a table in front of a dozen medicine bottles, trying to figure out a "tough," macho way to eat a banana. He concludes that there is none, as he tries to eat healthier to improve his health.
That scene is one of the light-hearted moments the entertainer shares with viewers in his online show "NCredible Health Hustle," which chronicles Cannon's struggle to regain his health. The 31-year-old was hospitalized for kidney failure in January and later diagnosed with lupus nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys.
"From there, I just figured that I wanted to document the entire process," he said in a recent phone interview. "This process might inspire a lot of people. So getting back into shape and getting back to the way that I always was before the condition was a journey."
He said the response to the web series, which debuted earlier this month to more than 80,000 views, has been overwhelming and positive.
"Everybody loves it and kind of respects the fact that I would be so candid," Cannon said.
Wife Mariah Carey also enjoys the online show.
"She thinks it's motivating and likes the way that I've handled it because I have been so open with it, when I could have been as private as I wanted to, but I felt like there was no need to do that."
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Cannon said he wants his experiences to inspire people battling health issues, as well as others to embrace healthier lifestyles.
"It's mostly to show that I really can't let a condition stop me from living my life," he said.
He's made some lifestyle alterations, though. He's changed his diet, swapping red meat, processed foods and salt for more vegetables, fruits and water. He has also lessened his heavy work load. Cannon, who hosts NBC's "America's Got Talent" and runs his own entertainment company, stepped down from his New York City radio show "Rollin' with Nick Cannon" in February.
He said scaling back work has been positive on two fronts.
"It gives me more time to spend with my family, and then two, it just kind of makes me appreciate it even more," said Cannon, who became a father to twins Moroccan and Monroe last year. "When you go through a life-threatening situation, it kind of just opens your eyes to (kind of) focus on the right things in life and not (be) always concerned with trivial stuff."
But fans can expect to see Cannon return to the big screen and music. Cannon is in pre-production to direct his first feature film, a comedy, "School Dance." The movie, which he also wrote, is set to begin filming in the summer. He's also working on an upcoming comedy special and rap album, and plans to release a video for the single "Die Young" with an anti-bullying message.
"Now it's just about time management," he said. "I still want to do everything that I possibly can do. I love entertaining, I love creating so I will continue to do that. You'll probably see a lot more of me."
