Living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can feel overwhelming. Many people struggle for years with painful flare-ups, side effects from medication, and the uncertainty of when symptoms might strike. In a new episode of the Causes or Cures podcast, I sat down with Dane Johnson, CEO and founder of Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle, to talk about his personal path from crisis to recovery and why he now dedicates his life to helping others navigate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
From Hollywood to Hospital
Dane’s story is striking. At one point, he was thriving as a model and actor in Los Angeles, projecting the image of perfect health. Yet behind the scenes, he was battling severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. He describes dramatic weight loss, anemia, exhaustion, sleepless nights, and round after round of conventional treatments that didn’t bring relief.
By 2014, he faced a near-fatal hospitalization. That moment became the turning point: he decided to become the “CEO” of his own health.
Rebuilding Health Through Lifestyle
Instead of giving up, Dane reassessed his options. He leaned into nutrition, stress management, sleep, and rebuilding daily habits that supported healing rather than inflaming his body further. Over time, and with persistence, he describes a full recovery — and more importantly, a life where he feels strong, present, and able to serve others.
Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle
Dane is now a board-certified nutritionist and the founder of Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle. Through his company, he and his team — which includes licensed clinicians — support clients with personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies. Their mission is to help others avoid the dark spiral he once faced and give them practical, science-informed tools to manage IBD day to day.
What We Discuss in the Podcast
In this conversation, Dane and I cover:
*The early warning signs of IBD and how quickly life can spiral.
*What it feels like when standard options don’t bring relief.
*The turning point in the hospital that changed his perspective.
*How food, stress, sleep, and social support became central to his recovery.
*Why he launched Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle and how his team integrates with clinicians.
*What a healing journey really looks like when you’re living with Crohn’s or colitis.
This episode is for anyone facing Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic illness, or that restless in-between stage when test results are inconclusive, symptoms persist, and you’re forced to map your own next steps.
Listen to the Full Conversation:
🎧 Listen to the episode here on Causes or Cures
If you know someone struggling with IBD or another chronic condition, share this episode with them. Sometimes hearing someone else’s story is exactly what sparks new hope.
About Dane Johnson
Dane Johnson is a board-certified nutritionist specializing in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. After his near-fatal IBD crisis in 2014, he rebuilt his health through nutrition and lifestyle strategies. He is the CEO and founder of Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle, where he and his team guide clients living with IBD toward practical, sustainable ways of improving their health.
Episode Sponsor
This episode of Causes or Cures is brought to you by my favorite coffee, Lifeboost Coffee. It’s low acid for an easier sip, organic and non-GMO, third-party tested for 450+ contaminants, shade-grown, bird-friendly, and fairly traded. Basically, coffee without the junk.
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Also check out these recent goodies from the BLOG and/or PODCAST:
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Rethinking Medication: Dr. Jerry Avorn on the Drugs We Take
Short Clip with Dane from My Youtube Channel: