Jon Chandonnet was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996, and as an active grad student at MIT, he responded by pushing his body to the limits. He ran marathons and climbed mountains to prove MS was not slowing him down. Six years later, that pace caught up with him. In this episode, Mathew Embry talks with Jon about denying the diagnosis, what changed when symptoms hit hard, and how MS demands a different kind of discipline. Jon shares how targeting inflammation through diet and lifestyle became a turning point, and how redefining strength has helped him keep moving forward.
In this conversation, MS advocate, author, and coach Jon Chandonnet shares his personal journey with multiple sclerosis. From his diagnosis as a graduate student at MIT to periods of decline and renewal, Jon explains the lifestyle changes, challenges, and mindset shifts that have shaped his approach to healing.
Below is a cleaned and structured transcript for readers who prefer to read rather than watch the video.
Jon’s journey with multiple sclerosis began unexpectedly while he was a graduate student at MIT. During an intramural basketball game, he suddenly lost fine motor control in his right arm and leg. He initially assumed it was a pulled muscle, but the symptoms did not resolve.
After limping around campus for a month, he finally had an MRI. The results showed lesions on his brain, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
At the time, he had big plans. He was about to graduate and enter the rapidly growing tech industry. Rather than confront the diagnosis, he chose denial. He left Boston for a startup job on the West Coast and pushed forward with life.
For more than six years, he lived at full speed. He ran marathons and triathlons and climbed major mountain peaks. He wanted to see how far he could go before the disease forced him to slow down.
After his diagnosis, Jon’s neurologist recommended one of the early MS drugs. However, he was not ready to begin treatment.
Taking regular injections would have forced him to confront the disease daily, and he was not prepared for that reality. Instead, he chose to put the diagnosis aside mentally and continue living as though nothing had changed.
For several years, that approach seemed to work. But eventually, symptoms began to appear.
Around six to eight years after his diagnosis, Jon’s condition began to worsen. He experienced cognitive issues and had trouble with memory and speech. His words would not come out clearly, and he began falling down stairs.
He knew he was in serious trouble. At that point, he started trying medications, including interferon treatments, but the side effects were severe. He experienced intense fatigue and episodes of physical distress.
Despite trying different drugs, he felt that nothing was truly helping his body heal. He realized he needed to take a different approach.
Jon decided to take a drastic step. He left work and went to a raw vegan healing center in San Diego for four months.
Within three weeks, he began to notice improvements. His mobility started to return, and his brain fog lifted. He doubled down on the program and stayed the full four months.
During this time, he consumed mostly raw juices and vegetables. He also did regular juice fasts throughout the week. The program significantly reduced his calorie intake and eliminated processed foods.
He stopped taking medications during this period and focused entirely on what he believed was a healing environment for his body.
After the program, Jon stayed on a mostly raw vegan diet for three years. During that time, he regained much of his health. He returned to work, started a family, and even wrote a book about his experience called Shadow Summit.
However, over time, stress and life changes made it difficult to maintain the strict diet. He began introducing more grains and processed foods. After a divorce, the challenges of cooking and caring for himself led to further dietary changes.
He believes these factors contributed to a gradual decline and the eventual progression to secondary progressive MS.
Several years later, as his son prepared to graduate from high school, Jon realized he needed to take control of his health again. His neurologist had confirmed that his condition had progressed to secondary progressive MS.
He decided to make another major lifestyle change. This time, he followed the Wahls Protocol, a Paleo keto–based approach focused on reducing inflammation.
He shifted to a diet consisting largely of healthy fats, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrates. He also committed significant time each day to his health.
Jon now treats his health like a full-time job. He spends hours each day on nutrition, exercise, and recovery practices.
He works with a functional medicine doctor to monitor his blood markers. Over time, his inflammation levels have improved.
His routine includes:
He notes that regaining sensation in his feet was a major milestone. After years without feeling them, the return of sensation felt like a victory.
Jon emphasizes that maintaining a disciplined lifestyle is an everyday challenge. It requires changing shopping habits, cooking routines, and long-standing behaviors.
He believes much of the struggle comes from the ego. Many people feel entitled to eat whatever they want, but the body ultimately determines what it needs to function well.
According to Jon, every meal is a choice between supporting health or worsening symptoms.
Jon continues to share his journey online to give others hope. He believes the most important thing in his life is leaving people in a better state than when he met them.
His motivation comes from several sources, including his father, who is living a vibrant life into old age, and his desire to see his son grow through different stages of life.
He also speaks about the power of love, both for others and for oneself, as a driving force in healing.
Jon believes that while he cannot control everything about the disease, he can control what he puts into his body.
He focuses on reducing inflammation and avoiding foods that trigger allergic or inflammatory responses. He points to sugar and processed foods as major contributors to inflammation in the modern diet.
If he could speak to his younger self, he says he would urge himself to adopt healthy habits earlier and avoid unnecessary suffering.
In an unexpected perspective, Jon describes his diagnosis as a gift. He believes it forced him to become more focused and intentional about his life than he otherwise would have been.
He also believes that many people will face health challenges later in life if they ignore the fundamentals of nutrition, exercise, and mindset.
For him, MS became the catalyst that pushed him toward personal growth and a deeper understanding of health.
Jon Chandonnet’s story is one of setbacks, experimentation, and resilience. From early denial to radical lifestyle changes and renewed discipline, his journey reflects the complexity of living with a chronic illness.
While his approach and results are personal, his core message is consistent: prioritize your health, take responsibility for your daily choices, and hold onto hope. For Jon, healing is not a quick fix but a long-term commitment to living in alignment with what his body needs.
