Are you curious about the inspirational presenters joining us on the next Holistic Holiday at Sea? We’ll host an incredible group of renowned experts who will share their wisdom and knowledge throughout the upcoming vegan cruise trip in March 2024.
Today, we’re sharing a recent conversation with bestselling author, inspirational speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and certified holistic cancer coach, Nathan Crane. Nathan inspires millions with his expertise in safe, natural, and effective therapies addressing cancer and other medical conditions.
We look forward to welcoming Nathan and his family on their first Holistic Holiday at Sea adventure in March! Read on to learn about Nathan’s inspiring work and plans for the upcoming vegan cruise.
Chatting with Nathan Crane, plant-based expert, coach, filmmaker
Nathan, we’re thrilled for you to join Holistic Holiday at Sea this coming March and excited for our return cruisers and newbies to get to know you. What is your background? How has it led you to practice and teach holistic wellness?
Yeah, absolutely. So number one, thank you for inviting me for this interview. I’m looking forward to experiencing the cruise and teaching practical strategies that empower people, whether their concern is a cancer diagnosis, a family member or friend who has cancer, or an interest in preventing cancer.
I grew up in Bozeman, Montana, and had a challenging youth. At 15, I was homeless. I struggled with addiction and was almost dead by 18. I was very unhealthy, living on fast food, living on the streets, in and out of jail, and struggling with alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, sugar, and fast food addictions. I was very unhealthy –very sickly. Pale white, skinny as a twig, and I didn’t know if I was going to make it past 18.
I had a big awakening moment. Some beautiful mentors came into my life who took me in like my best friend’s parents who took me into their home. I got to see what it was like to live with healthy people who ate a primarily vegetarian diet at that time. That was an eye-opening experience for me. I loved it and soaked it up. At 18, my best friend Gabe said, “I’m moving out of here. I’m moving to San Diego. I’ve got to get out of here.”
At that time, the two options I thought I had were basically death or jail. That’s really where I was headed. And when he came to me with that, it was a light bulb. I’d been actually kind of praying for something like that. So, we packed everything up and drove to San Diego. And that’s basically where I started my life at 18 years old in 2005. From that point forward, I committed to getting healthy and taking care of myself. I knew what it was like to be sick, weak, in pain, and suffering from depression and anxiety. I knew what it was like to be on the Standard American Diet, plus all these addictions. And I just didn’t want that anymore. I was ready for something better. It didn’t change overnight like that, but it was a progressive journey until this day and will be for the rest of my life –discovering what it means to live a life of goodness with empathy, love, compassion, joy, fitness, and health.
I found a plant-based diet in 2010 when my daughter was born. My wife and I went on a 100%, raw, vegan diet for a year. It was one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. During the years leading up to that, I had been researching health, spirituality, and wellness, learning from master teachers, and experiencing different traditions and cultures. The physical body is so important, as is what we put in our bodies and minds.
I began teaching, writing, and presenting at conferences and retreats. Seven or eight years into that journey (in 2012 or 2013), my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer. I went to visit him in Arizona and saw the pain and suffering he was going through –not actually from cancer, but from the chemotherapy and radiation destroying his immune system. I realized then that I knew nothing about cancer. The word cancer ignites fear within our minds, especially if we don’t understand it. It was very scary; it was for me. I felt helpless and hopeless. As much as I wanted to help him, I realized I couldn’t, and he passed away shortly after that.
So from 2013 until this day, I have been unbelievably dedicated to learning everything I possibly can about cancer and helping as many people along the way. I started producing summits, conferences, magazines, and documentaries. I’ve interviewed hundreds of top doctors, physicians, and cancer conquerors –people who have overcome stage four cancers. I began learning and documenting. I created master classes and documentaries, sharing with and helping (now to this day) millions of people around the world. What I’ve learned is once you realize what causes cancer and its underlying root causes, you can take steps to fight or prevent disease. That’s what our bodies are designed to do with the right nutrition, food, herbs, and detoxification pathways.
I believe cancer is 99% preventable, but we’ve got to know how to live the right lifestyle and eat the right foods. So that has become my main passion now: helping people around the world learn real solutions to fight, prevent, and heal from cancer using a holistic approach. And one caveat is that there’s no guarantee. It’s not that if you change everything, all of a sudden your cancer’s gone. But intentional miracles happen – these aren’t just spontaneous remissions. People are doing very specific things for specified amounts of time. Even after a cancer diagnosis that offers no hope, people force the disease into regression and live well for decades. That’s not spontaneous; it’s intentional and very empowering. People need to know this.
The plant-based diet reduces inflammation and activates the immune system so the body can fight cancer. People don’t like the word fight, but I mean, the body is literally finding, attacking, killing, and removing these cancer cells within the right environment, and that’s the key: the right internal and external environment.
That’s so interesting! There’s a lot that goes into mental and physical wellness when you talk about the breadth of healing that is required to overcome cancer. Do you have one main takeaway or a silver lining, something that you hope people are imparted with when you leave them after a teaching or a discussion?
Most people want to know what foods, herbs, supplements, and tangible items empower our bodies to heal or prevent cancer, and we cover that. I mean, I’ve done documentaries and books on it. We’ve got tons of research and case studies, and that’s information I share with people.
One thing that a lot of people forget about, and in my research and my own professional opinion, this is the most important thing people should focus on if they’re dealing with any chronic disease, especially cancer: the mental well-being, the mental-emotional state. And here’s why. You could eat all the best foods, the best vegan diet, and take the best herbs and supplements. You could go to the sauna and exercise. All these things are going to be helpful and they’re things I recommend and suggest. But if you’re constantly living in a state of anxiety, fear, depression, anger, resentment, or sadness, your immune system is being down regulated through your sympathetic nervous system.
Dr. Thomas Lodi said it famously in my documentary, Cancer, the Integrative Perspective. He said, “There is a cure for cancer. It’s called the immune system.” If you have a fully functioning immune system, you never have to worry about a cancer diagnosis. If your immune system is downregulated and in a sympathetic state almost 24-7, you might think it’s out of your control. “I can’t control my thoughts. I can’t control my emotions.” I’m here to tell you: 100 percent, that you absolutely can take control of what you think and how you feel through practice and through specific traditions that come from ancient practices, lineages, and religious and spiritual texts.
Many of these things have been validated by modern science today. Scientists thought until recently you couldn’t do anything about your autonomic nervous system, that it’s out of your control. It is automatic until you learn to basically hack your nervous system and put it within your control. We can learn to release dopamine, a precursor to the immune system response, which is going to release natural killer cells that gobble up cancer cells. This leads to feelings of euphoria, happiness, and peace, which activates the immune system response and reduces inflammation.
The key takeaway here is that we want to be in a parasympathetic nervous system. Not 24/7; for example, it is healthy to do high-intensity interval training, which activates a sympathetic response for short periods. Unhealthy stress is what most people are experiencing today and we have to control it. There are different practices for that –meditation practices and breathing practices. Some of these things I will teach on the cruise.
The benefit is that you feel better and have more energy. The physical, tangible things that I teach are important but do not forget the mental, emotional, and spiritual sides of health and healing. Without them, the tangible things (I truly believe) are only 20 or 30 percent impactful. Let’s learn to find health, vitality, happiness, and peace, at least the majority of the time.
Mind over matter, right? If you have the fire, chutzpah, or the will to live, you can go far. Many of us would love to learn the practices you teach. And speaking of, what will you teach during the upcoming cruise?
I’ll talk about the physical toxins that most people put on their skin or in their mouths every day. These toxins are absorbed into their bloodstreams, causing damage to the neurological processes of the brain and the gut. They create problems with your hormones and lead to all kinds of problems: fatigue, pain, bloating, excess weight gain, and cancer. We will discuss key strategies to address toxins in your kitchen, bathroom, the air you breathe in your home, and the water you drink. We’ll cover the science behind the toxins and what you can do about them. And of course, some of those toxins are stress and anxiety and the emotions that we talked about. You will learn to reduce stress and be in a greater state of peace and equanimity in your life. We’ll discuss our subconscious beliefs and help activate and accelerate what I call “the healer within.”
That sounds incredibly empowering and lots of folks will be ready to learn. Is there anything that you are looking forward to in particular about going on the cruise? You’ve spoken about how being present, having joy, and doing things to down-regulate your nervous system, so we hope you’ll have some fun!
Oh, my gosh, I’m going to have so much fun! My wife and kids are coming, so it’ll be a vacation and a chance to teach and share. I’m looking forward to connecting with people. I love to hear people’s stories, answer questions, and offer support. I’m also looking forward to learning. I’m always learning.
A lot of great presenters will be there. Dr. Neal Barnard is a great presenter, doctor, and researcher. He is somebody I’ve had on my podcast and connected with over the years; I look forward to learning from him. The same goes for Michael Greger. Ocean Robbins is a good friend who’s going to be there. Chris is a good friend who spoke at my conference here in Jacksonville. There will be so many good people, great speakers, passions, strategies, solutions, and inspiration. I look forward to being a student and a teacher –and rejuvenating.
We’ve never been down to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, or the Dominican Republic, so we’re excited to experience new places and have some fun and adventure.
And then of course the food! I mean, a cruise that’s filled with all kinds of healthy, organic plant-based meals? I’m super excited to check that out! We were going to book a family cruise vacation a year ago. When I was looking at different cruises, I was like, “The food thing’s going to be so hard.” I spent hours researching the food. Anybody on a plant-based diet knows that food can be a challenge on trips. A cruise with plant-based food is something we’re looking forward to experiencing!
It will be a vegan’s paradise. We hope you, your wife, and kiddos have an amazing time. Thanks for chatting today. Attendees will no doubt benefit from your teachings, wisdom, and passion for life!
My pleasure, my pleasure. Thanks for including me.
Join Nathan Crane and 30+ wellness and plant-based health experts on a vegan cruise in March 2024
We hope you will join us for an unforgettable vegan cruise. Relax, socialize, and learn from Nathan and dozens of world-renowned wellness and health experts. Book your spot today or learn more about this iconic, once-in-a-lifetime vegan cruise experience!
