Angela opens up on depression and what it does to people, the way she beat it, and how that experience can be used by others in their struggles with depression.
Angela Foster is a former corporate lawyer who battled and beat depression. Angela now serves as an Executive Health and Performance Coach. Angela opens up on depression and what it does to people, the way she beat it, and how that experience can be used by others in their struggles with depression.
Angela is a Nutritionist and Executive Health and Performance Coach.
She is the host of the High Performance Health Podcast, the show where she talks about everything you need to break through limits and achieve a High Performance Mind, Body and Lifestyle.
Angela works with high performing clients including top CEOs, Entrepreneurs & Executives.
She is also the Founder and CEO of My DNA Edge and Angela Foster Academy, an Exclusive Private Membership Site with programs for individuals to optimize their genetic expression for ultimate health and performance, including The Live Younger Longer Blueprint.
After recovering from a serious illness in 2014, Angela left the world of Corporate Law with a single mission in mind: to inspire and educate others to become the CEO of their health and live an energetic, healthful and limitless life.
Angela uses a combination of modern science and biohacking with time honored holistic practices to transform her clients’ health, energy and performance. Angela’s particular field of specialty is in optimizing the expression of her clients’ individual genetics for ultimate health.
[3:01] Angela’s Corporate Law career
[11:00] The first signs of burnout and depression
[19:33] Dealing with pattern interrupts
[30:18] Battling Depression
[39:16] Common patterns of depression among high performers
[45:45] Overview of Angela’s coaching plans
My appearance at the High Performance Health Podcast
The seven spiritual laws of success by Deepak Chopra
Blue Light Blocking glasses - BluBlox Use coupon code DS15 for 15% off
Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself
The End of Alzheimer's by Dale Bredesen
Boomer Anderson: [00:00:00]Welcome to decoding superhuman. This show is a deep dive into obsessions withhealth performance, and how to elevate the human experience. I explore thelatest tools, science and technology with experts in various. The field ofhuman optimization. This is your host Boomer Anderson. Enjoy the journey
Today on the show. We're going to welcome my friend, AngelaFoster. Angela is a nutritionist and executive health and performance coach.And she's the host of the high performance health podcast, which yours trulyhas been on before. And it's a show where she talks about how to break throughlimits and achieve a high performance mind, body and lifestyle.
Angela works with high performing clients, including top CEOs,entrepreneurs, and executives. And if that weren't enough, she's also thefounder and CEO of my DNA edge and the Angela Foster Academy, which is anexclusive private membership. So today on the show, Angela and I discuss herprevious background in corporate law and what that really did to her health.
She then opens up and starts to talk a lot about herexperience with depression. And I really appreciate her willingness to talkabout this so openly. And so we go deep into that and how Angela actually beatdepression and how she now uses that experience. If you will, to help serveother high performers in the world.
The show notes for this one are decodingsuperhuman.com/angela. And enjoy my conversation with Angela Foster.
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Angela, welcome to the show.
Angela Foster: [00:02:42]Thanks for having me on. It's great to be here.
Boomer Anderson: [00:02:45]You know, I've had a pleasure of. Really just exchanging conversations with youover the past couple of weeks. And I know, uh, we have different industrybackgrounds, but similar stories in a way. And so if I have this correct in myresearch is correct.
You worked in corporate law, is that right?
Angela Foster: [00:03:03]Yeah, I did.
Boomer Anderson: [00:03:05]Okay. So when we start talking about law on this show or, uh, banking, finance,et cetera, uh, I would love to hear just sort of what that was like for you,the, the type of environment. Cause there's a lot of people listening to showthat probably are in corporate law, um, and just sort of the environment andyou know, what eventually led you to leaving corporate law, but let's firststart with, you know, how you got into it and what that environment looked likefor you.
Angela Foster: [00:03:34]Yeah. So the environment was, I mean, busy, busy, busy, right. It was very,very long hours and very high demands. I was working on one of the I'm one ofthe biggest law firms in London on multinational deals. And it was, how did Iget into it as the excitement? It's funny. Actually, I was originally going tobe a, when I was doing my training, I first of all, wanted to be a defamationlawyer and that was exciting.
And the litigation, and then my final seat was corporate lawand, uh, I don't know, there was something sexy about corporate law. You canterm it like that. Yeah. Yes. And it was fun and I enjoyed it, the buzz and thekind of the cups and the thrust of it and putting the deals together. And alsojust around the people, they're really high energy, um, lawyers, you know, theywork hard and play hard, so it was a lot of fun.
Um, and then. I think for me what it, what it meant was itbecomes a lifestyle. That's the only way I can describe law. It just, it's allencompassing and. I think so. I enjoyed it for many years. You know, when I wasin my twenties and you kind of, all my friends were lawyers and we had a greattime, really enjoyed the deals.
And then I actually moved in house for a bit. I was on aside comment to an investment bank. So you were saying you're in banking. So Iwent last. Yeah. Out of the soul spin into the fire. And that again wasdifferent. It was fun. I was working with the trading floor, but initially,actually the hours were a little bit better and I was thinking, well, this,this looks quite good.
You know, the in-house game, perhaps. That's what I'll do.But then actually, um, Very quickly. It just turned into more of the same. Andit got to the point where I felt it was overtaking my life. And I think aswomen do they want to try and combine what they're doing with a family. And sothen at that point I looked at, well, actually I think private practices forme, I wanted to make partnership.
It was like a, you know, a goal of mine that I'd had, but Imoved to a larger. From a London base, but was based outside predominantlyoutside of London, just to see if I could kind of combine and marry those twoworlds, which in the city, I didn't see many women doing, or at least theyweren't seeing the families they were.
And, uh, so I then sort of made partnership when I wasabout, I was eight months pregnant crazily. It was a busy year. Yeah. It was abusy year. And the thing is, I think I then took a career break initially.That's what it was because I had both of my two boys very close together. So Ithink actually I was.
Three months pregnant when I was due to go back onmaternity, go back from maternity leave. So that was all quite fast. And Ithought, well, actually, I'm gonna take some time out. I spoke with, you know,head and things. Does it matter if you take and they were like, anything up tosort of 18 months is probably fine.
Um, and then as I came away from law, I kind of had my ownbattles, which we can get into if you want to, in terms of burnout andpostnatal depression. And I ultimately then just, it led to a very big lifechange in me and a complete switch. Um, and the end.
Boomer Anderson: [00:06:43]So let's, uh, I want to just unpack some of this for people to kind of set thebackground because you know, some people aren't necessarily with what long hours means.
Right. And so they may think that anything greater than aneight hour day. Um, and no, I'm just curious, because I know what London can belike in terms of the, the attitudes towards work hours. Also know whatmultinational deals can be like. Uh, uh, you know, what would you say sort ofan average day looked like in terms of working hours or average week, if youwill.
Angela Foster: [00:07:17]So an average week would be mostly 12 to 14 hour days and, and up, um, I thinkthat. Often weekends and cleared it, you know, there was always the hospitalpass, particularly in the, when I was more junior that get thrown on your deskat four o'clock on a Friday afternoon. Yeah. He knew that was a whole weekendof work.
Right. So, um, sometimes, you know, it'd be waiting forthings with, you know, the, the, the team, their secretary and people to turnthings around and we'd go out, come back to work and then work through, Ithink, you know, I've done some crazy things like. 3:00 AM workouts in the gymwaiting for. Do you remember those?
They didn't feel good. I think you only try that a fewtimes, but it's the way of staying awake, I guess. So for me, I think the worstthing I ever did was. Actually when I was doing, I was working on the merger ofHewlett Packard with compact computers. And that was between California, Londonand India. And that's very, I think we did something my 85 hours with an hourand a half sleep.
And that was literally just to kind of map and then cameback. And what I found was the floor didn't even stay still at that point, bythe end of that, you know, when I came through the other side of that, I justfelt I had almost gone into a coma. I was so exhausted. So yeah, the hours werevery long, very demanding.
And it's funny. Cause I think I still occasionally have adream today where I wake up and I. I feel like I haven't charged enoughchargeable hours. Definitely a pressure as a
Boomer Anderson: [00:08:56]so billable hours are certainly a thing to consider here. Now, along the way,I'm just curious because when you get into a position like that and you startto do more than what your body is really built for.
What are you using the compensate if you're willing toshare? Because I know for me, for instance, like I was a big, big caffeineuser, um, for sure. Um, and until I figured out what nootropics were, um, butyou know, I was not necessarily using the nootropics in the right way, but foryou, were there particular things that you would turn to, or did you find sortof the magic bullet through exercise?
Angela Foster: [00:09:35]Exercise. So they self as a, I knew nothing at this point of biohacking, newtrade picks, anything like that. So as a lawyer, I was, I was pretty healthyand I would, but I was exercising, I would say probably too much. And I think.That almost then even further warmed up the stage for the burnout that was tocome because so hit workouts.
Definitely. I would, you know, we, as lawyers, we neverreally got started, um, until about nine 30, 10, so it was always late nights.And so I was very much, I've always been that early morning chronotype. So Iwould classically be up at 6:00 AM, either running into work or cycling, thengoing to the gym. And, you know, kind of pumping myself up caffeine a littlebit.
I never really overused. I used it definitely for sure. AndI guess it was too much for my, um, So my adrenal function in a way, but Idon't think that I was surviving on coffee at night. I certainly was during theday, but I used exercise for the extra pump. And then, like I was saying, youknow, working out 2:00 AM crazy kind of things.
Um, but I don't think in my twenties, I think you get awaywith it. Yeah, you're
Boomer Anderson: [00:10:44]in your twenties. You do right. It's just like maybe in the work hard playhard, right? Like maybe at that point I would get worse hangovers or something,but that was really about it. What were some of the sort of cracks in thearmor, if you will, that you started to see before you took the 18 months aboutmedical?
Angela Foster: [00:11:04]So that's a great question. So for me, what took a hit was my, and this is ultimatelywhat, and that's, my demise is really as, yeah. My, I got repeated respiratoryinfections. So I'd always had a background of that as, um, growing up as ateenager. And the question came later, um, after I'd had pneumonia, you know,do I have, did I always have asthma?
And it was undiagnosed. Or why was I getting theseaffections? Was it just push it? Cause even when I wasn't pushing myself thathard, like at school, I was getting these, but that definitely what kepthappening. So it was repeated chest infections and laryngitis. Every time Ipushed myself, then I would have a bit of time off recover, come back and thenjust push again.
And that kept happening and they progressively got worse.So, you know, initially it's, and the problem with that is as you know, as atleast two courses of antibiotics, because you need them to. To cure it. And soI had, and then it sort of moved into maybe a bit more higher grade infections,things like bronchitis and pleurisy until eventually then I eventually was hospitalizedwith pneumonia.
Wow.
Boomer Anderson: [00:12:09]Wow. And so when you went and had your, your two boys, uh, you decided to takesome time off, and that was really when. Uh, when you sort of took a little bitof a break, things started to, you started to realize what was under thesurface was going on. And you mentioned something earlier around, uh, bothburnout, but also depression.
And I would love to go into that if you're willing to share.Yeah,
Angela Foster: [00:12:33]sure, sure.
Boomer Anderson: [00:12:35]Um, I mean, we can choose and choose the path you want to go down. Did one leadto the other, or was it more sort of a combination of the two.
Angela Foster: [00:12:46]So that's interesting. Um, I think that having now done the research andeverything, um, myself I'm really dived into this.
I think that I was exhausted by the time that I had mychildren and that really made me a lot more vulnerable to the postnataldepression, but I also think part of it was the attitude. That had become apart of me really. Um, in terms of never feeling like I couldn't do anything Itook too much on. So for example, like we had this thing at the law firm whereit was always grace under fire, no matter what challenge was presented.
Yeah. You had to be able to cope with it. And that was partof being, being able to become a partner. Right. You had to demonstrate thatresilience. So when I had my children, I remember the midwives and the peoplethat visit saying, you know, you've just got to take a step back and get somesleep. And I was like, no, I've done all nighters.
It doesn't matter. And I was. Continuing on and not takingnaps and not actually really giving my body arrest. But I think I was kind offighting. I would say the depression, they came together. I was fighting this,the secret battle. And at first I really wasn't willing to accept that I hadpostnatal depression.
That was something that was never going to happen to me. Ididn't identify with it. So for me it meant, and I think this is true for a lotof people. Depression is. Very very physical and it comes as exhaustion. And soI was looking at other things, first of all, it was like, well, I must haveiron deficiency.
Right. I've had that before. So that could be what it isthis time. That's why I can't get out of bed. Um, And it it's taken a long wayfor me as somebody who felt so in control of their mind to really explore anddig deep and, and do that work to actually come through the other side of it.So I think they probably both.
Came together and each one exacerbated the other,
Boomer Anderson: [00:14:50]uh, you know, we haven't really, we talked quite a bit on the show aboutanxiety, a little bit less on depression. Um, how common is postnataldepression. And then, uh, if you don't mind just going through some of whatthat felt like for people.
Angela Foster: [00:15:10]Sure. So I think it's very common.
I think what differentiates it is the degree to which youhave it. So I think for some women, and I think it's kind of trying to understandthe difference between your hormones are all over the place. A hundred percentwhen you've just had a baby they're all over the place. And then it'sunderstanding is this, is this a short term thing that actually I'm going toget past?
So obviously the first thing is the baby blues, which arevery. Very extreme. You're very tearful. And that happens kind of day three,four when sort of the milk comes in. It's, it's, that's very unique and thatpasses for most people. Some women then do struggle with that new adaptation,the new life, and they can experience depression.
Um, with me it became more and more entrenched over time.And so it, then I was. Diagnosed with, you know, uh, clinical depression thatwas chronic depressive disorder and potentially tripping into bias polar. Sowhether that, and I, if I look back in all honesty, I did struggle. I thinkI've always struggled my whole life, but I don't think I ever identified it asdepression.
For me, it's hard to distinguish whether it was just postnatalor that was at an event. That triggered it and brought it up, um, because themore I've learned and the more I understand now, how it works and, and whatthose thoughts are and how to cope with them, the more I can identify that someof these things were that long before I had.
Boomer Anderson: [00:16:42]And what did some of those thoughts look like? I obviously want to hear the,the back end, the story, which cause you made a lot of it. A lot of progresshere, but what did some of those th that day-to-day look like when you're goingthrough, uh, the postnatal depression?
Angela Foster: [00:16:57]So the first thing that happened for me, um, when I was experiencing it, it wasthe same, each time is an inability to sleep.
So an inability to settle my mind, and it was almost like akind of computer scrambling program. There was just heightened activity in mymind. Um, And that then would be followed with, I guess, very negative thoughtpatterns, um, and very feeling. But there was, I think this is the hardestthing. I don't know if there are women listening that may identify with this.
The hardest part for me was there was a degree ofself-loathing that came with it, or a degree of feeling that in some way, Iwould be freeing people if I wasn't there freeing my children free, which itsounds crazy for me. And, and, um, to listen to that, to listen to myselfsaying it now, but it becomes so, um, So painful to be exempt, to be, to exist.
So painful to be with your own company and your own thoughtsthat you ultimately just, I found for me, I can't speak for other people. Ijust wanted to turn them off. And that's when I think that's when it starts tobe the suicidal thoughts become more prevalent. And I know that people canfeel.
Depressed or down without getting to that stage. So theremay be for different people. It may be different and varying degrees, butcertainly for me, it then turned into something where I just wanted to turn myhead off in the morning. I couldn't get going. So with, as I had it repeats andit becomes more entrenched.
So it was triggered each time once I'd had a baby, um, And Iadored my children don't get me wrong. I completely fell in love with thosebabies, the moment they were born. And I felt so fortunate for that because Ithink some women can't connect with their babies. Um, and I feel genuinelyheartfelt emotion for those women.
Cause I think that must make it even harder for me thatwasn't the issue. I felt that, um, somehow I shouldn't be here or, and it usedto take my eldest, you know, a good hour and a half. To get mommy out of bed inthe morning and just have arm pulling. And it was so physical. I, I didn't knowwhat time it was most of the time, um, whether it was night or day, if the sunshone, you know, most people get a serotonin boost.
When the sun shining, they feel happy. It makes them smile.Every day is like every day is dark cloud in your head. And then it takes on avery physical form as well.
Boomer Anderson: [00:19:29]Thank you for sharing that. It's um, I really appreciate you being so openabout it. At some point you, you entered into sort of the pattern interruptthough.
And what made you say like, Hey, I got to do something aboutthis and how did you begin that process?
Angela Foster: [00:19:50]So the first, the first time, um, I didn't get any help after my first child.And then I went straight into the pregnancy, which quite quick with my second,and I felt really quite depressed all the way through that pregnancy.
And it was, it was a struggle. And then when my son wasborn, that they talk often with postnatal, that there's kind of a trigger pointaround eight weeks and again at eight months. And that was definitely how itkind of struck for me. And when my second child was eight months old. Um, my husbandtook some time off and I then had somebody to sort of take care of the kids.
So this need to actually get out of bed. And my husband wasnot you in finance. He's an investment banker. And so he was working longhours. He wasn't there. So I felt very alone and he took a week off and I justcould not get out of bed. So I, at this point still was in total denial andbelieved I knew what was going on, but I didn't want to.
So I thought there must be something wrong. So I called mydoctor and said, you know, I think we need to run some bloods. I, I just. Ican't get dressed or three o'clock in the afternoon. This isn't not me. Um, Ithink maybe I'm anemic again. And she obviously had seen it repeated times andsaid, look, we'll run some tests, but I just want to put it out there.
You know, this is, could be what it is. And then, um, thetest came back fine. So. I then ignored it until I got to the point where Ithink I was struggling with my own thoughts so much that I went to see, um, aGP that I was thankfully I was closer to. And he just somehow had a way oftalking to me that I could trust.
I think that's the biggest thing. And I didn't want anymedication. I just wanted to speak to somebody and he sort of left the roombecause I was answering a series of questionnaires, which is what they get todo initially. Um, I was trying to answer them. I wasn't being honest with them.So he left the room and came back and then he said to me, the reason I left isI just knew you were never going to be honest.
There was always going to be a brave face if I was in theroom and then I was kind of shaking and he, he, he pleaded with me and said,can I please really let me treat you? And I just, at this point it was sophysical. I couldn't, I was like this, I couldn't even hold myself. Yeah. Uh,just the pain inside was so great.
And so he, um, I agreed really reluctantly about point totake some medication. So I took the medication and then, uh, it worked a littlebit. Then I had a big crash a couple of months later around Christmas time, andthen they needed to increase the dose. And I then went to see a series of. Uh,psychotherapists.
Um, I, I kind of, I, I had various ones over the years toreally help me. Um, and I started to do a lot of work on myself. So understandingthat my thoughts were not me. I didn't, I'd never made that distinction before.I just thought my thoughts were me. I wasn't a meditator at this point. Um, youknow, it was life in the fast lane.
That was the thing that was everything I'd done up until thatpoint was just go, go, go then crash and burn on a holiday, come back and startagain. And, um, so I was trying to unpack my thoughts and the medication, Ithink just allowed me to do that work. And ultimately that time I got back ontrack, my doctor was, was reluctant actually.
Because it had taken time. I hadn't had to have specialistcare at this point, um, to, for me to have another child because he felt that,and this, you know, this is obviously true that the lack of sleep, um, washaving a big part and that if I had another child, the whole mono impact andthe lack of see that came with it, because all of, all of mine had reallyterrible reflux as babies.
And, um, it, they really didn't sleep. And so I wasn'tgetting much sleep. So he. Dennis said to me, if you really want, I knew Iwanted another child and I just, I'm sort of a person who's generally when I'mlike, I am normally so positive that I was just like, it's not going to happenagain. I've dealt with it now it's gone.
Um, and so he was like, well, at least get a maternity nurseto make sure that you are having sleep. So I, then I said, I then basically,um, decided and unfortunate, well, it's not unfortunate. This is good news, butI fell pregnant with my daughter very quickly after that process. And thatpregnancy was amazing.
I felt well with Overfelt, very bad morning sickness, but Ididn't feel any kind of depression. I was really happy. I got a maternity nurseto help me afterwards and I thought everything's going to be fine. That thirdtime was just too much. It happened way faster. I do think there's a hormonalbasis for this because it triggered every time of the birth of my child.
But this time I fell so hard and so fast and it took way,way more than ever before to come back. So I, I needed medication. Themedications they've used before didn't work, they then tried differentmedications. I did all of the therapy again. It was, uh, a big dark hole. And.Eventually, um, I then got referred to the primary hospital under the care of apsychiatrist who was helping me and he was transitioning me onto othermedication.
I was on medication morning and night on bipolar, prettystrong bipolar medication, which was making me exhausted and very sort ofspaced out. And in that transition process, this was about two years on when myyoungest was now two. Um, we went to have some time away, just down to korma.As a family, my kids got a cough.
Um, they were pretty poorly with it. It was like a flu, um,and my husband got it. And I seemed okay, but in my mind all the time, as theywere changing medications, you experience even greater depression again,because there's withdrawals and things. And I just. Was having these suicidalthoughts again. So it was well beyond postnatal by this point, cause it was twoyears on.
And, um, basically, um, I then did become sick with it,obviously with the background of, of respiratory infections. And then thisinfection just started to take hold. And initially then, um, I was diagnosedwith pneumonia and they ran some chest x-rays and they discovered that I, they,things didn't look great on the x-ray.
So they were trying to work out whether to keep me at homeor to treat me in the hospital that they thought I had something calledbronchiectasis. So I was referred to a consultant who called me and said, canyou come to the hospital urgently? Um, I need to, I need to see you today. So Iwent to the hospital and, um, he kept talking about lymph glands and saying tome, you know, and I was like, what's this bronchiectasis?
And he was like, I got to that. Can you see your lymphglands? They're so big there. And I was having these raging fevers. So I knew Iwas ill and they they'd said I had pneumonia. I was on antibiotics and I was,it had about three different courses, nothing was working. And I said to him,why do we keep talking about my lymph glands?
Like I've got pneumonia. Like, why do we keep talking aboutthis? And I said, it's just, it's like, you think I've got lung cancer orsomething? And then he just sort of paused and he was like, well, it's, it'shard to say that you haven't, we need to, without a CT scan. So I was like,Whoa, like, how does this happen?
I'm not a smoker. Like what, what is going on? Um,fortunately he, um, it was in a private hospital. He at the CT scan was donethen, and that, and I kind of walked back into his office and he was like, it'sworse than I thought. And I was like, wow, like life is just changing so fast.And I said, what do you mean it's worth it worse than I thought, you know, if Iever got land camps and he said, no, but.
You have got viral and bacterial pneumonia, and it's now allover both lungs and that lungs, and that's why your lymph glands are so big. Sowe're going to have to transfer you now to the general hospital by ambulance,because you know, you, you may need to even be intubated and it was just allhappening so fast.
And I was like, Whoa. And, um, I said, I basically refusedand said, I just, I can't sleep at home. I've got three young children, please.Can you just let me stay here for a few days in the private hospital? So heagreed to make arrangements on the basis that I, they would see how things wentbecause it just was taking hold so fast.
They weren't sure. And then I think my body at that pointjust started to give up, right. I was just the moment I was then in bed, Icould rest and they took some bloods and they said, you know, you'reneutropenic, we're really gonna just rely on antibiotics here because yourwhite blood cell count is so low.
Um, and I was on oxygen. And nebulizers and all thesethings, I was on a drip and it was all tumbling so fast. And it was ironicbecause I had wanted so much to end my life. And then it seemed like thingswere going that way. And I think when you have a really high fever, and this isreally what got me, it was the entry point into meditation.
I think you kind of almost become quite the lucid thinking.And that was just a segue and I felt this tremendous sense of peace. And I wasthinking and I, the, the self-loathing just fell away. It was just me, youknow, there I was, I tried to run away from myself and wherever I went there, Iwas, and now I was in hospital and I couldn't run anywhere because I'm in bed.
So I had to be with just me. And it was like a magicalmoment. It sounds really woo. But I just thought I really want to be a part ofmy children's lives. I really want to see them grow up and I really want to bethere. I want to be a mum to them. And within this is the thing about health,right? Is the mind and body connection within 24 hours of me making thatdecision or 48 hours, my blood started to change my white blood cell countimproved.
My immune system got stronger. And the antibiotics startedto work and I was saved, ever having to have that, that extra intubation. Itwas like amazing. And then that changed my life when I came out of hospitaloversight. Right. I I'm going to find out how to be healthy. Like this is it. Imean, it was a journey of, it was just a journey for me.
How can I get really, really healthy mind and body? The twoI knew they had to be both. Um, so yeah.
Boomer Anderson: [00:29:54]And so that journey, because, you know, first off, thank you again for sharingeverything. That's. Incredible what you've been through and how you've gonethrough it. Now you leave the hospital. And at this point you're like, Hey, Iwant to get healthy.
If I hit the, if I plugged the word health into Google rightnow, I'm going to get 10,000 different opinions as you know, where did youstart and take us through just sort of how that journey arrived at you now,helping people.
It's the holiday season. And right now I'm staring at thisbeautiful green light, this beautiful green light emits frequency that protectsme from EMF.
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Angela Foster: [00:31:23]So the first thing I think was when I got home was thinking, I've really got totake charge of my mind. I've got to like do this work. And I was transitioningonto these medications, which actually then began to what they were strong.
I was tired. But I was getting a more stable mood. So Ireally dive deep into, first of all, looking mentally like, and doing thehomework, like what, when I would see a therapist, like how your thoughtsbecome things. So what does that thought mean and what are automatic thoughtsand how can I. Is there a different point of view?
So I would really work hard on my mind. Um, and on the firstpoint that was as well was mindfulness. I found meditation difficult, and thenI transitioned from that to meditation. Um, I then, like I went to see afunctional medicine doctor. I'd lost a ton of weight. Um, I didn't have loadsof weight to lose.
And, um, he was like, you will have lost so much bacteriaand you've had so much antibiotics. So we were working, I got onto someadaptogenic herbs, which just helped me, um, really, really helped me. Some,um, different supplements to support me. And then just started to try, I didn'thave a massive appetite to eat as nutritiously as I could.
Um, I was going back then the hospital, I was due six weekslater to go and see what the damage was to my lungs. And then unfortunately Igot another chest infection, so they couldn't do that. So then had another setof antibiotics, but this time it wasn't so bad, it was manageable. Um, and Ithink as often as the way, when you try to get back up, you kind of get beatendown first.
Yeah. And then you get back up again. Right. I just keepgetting back up and
Boomer Anderson: [00:33:10]there are steps forward, two steps back kind of thing.
Angela Foster: [00:33:12]Yeah, exactly. And then, um, and then the first thing I did was I startedGoogling, as you say, well, how can I get healthy? And then the first thing Icame across, the first course I ever did was with the Institute of integrativenutrition.
And that just. Blew my mind, because I remember watchingJoshua Rosenthal, the founder of that organization, talking about things thathad never occurred to me. Like when you're cooking food, put love in it,because the energy is being transferred to the food. And I was suddenly likemarrying the two that it was, you know, there I was, I was still separatingeverything, putting an effort into my mind separately with the psychotherapistsand the treatment plan.
And then I was basically working on eating reallynutritious, nutritious food. And then I started to get into this whole world ofenergy and like how that, how the physical could affect. The non-physical andhow those two worlds came together. And it was just reading and reading andreading. Lots of books did that course.
I was like, wow, there was so much, I remember at the end,um, the last module I think, was delivered by Deepak Chopra and hispresentation just, just blew my mind. I then read the seven spiritual laws ofsuccess, which for anyone listening, it's a tiny book, but a very powerfulbook. Um, and just kept reading everything from nutrition to mindset, tospiritual books.
And then I then was like, well, I'm really interested innutrition. So I did a course in nutritional therapy, kind of dive deeper,again, just always improving my life. And then I did some personal trainingqualifications. Cause I was like, I want to understand, like, can you pushyourself too far? You know, is exercise too much?
Had I been overexercising so I did all of that. Brought thatpiece together. Then I did some training, um, with Ben Greenfield and the Kion,and just he's very much mind, body and spirit, the whole thing together. Sothat was, he was a wonderful mentor. And. Yeah, I just started then, you know,as working with clients started diving into the world of genetics, looking atepigenetics, I'd had a little bit of experience because before I'd had thechildren, I was diagnosed with TCOs and insulin resistance.
So I was put on that Forman. So I'd kind of already had alittle bit of experimentation as a lawyer. Like adjusting my diet to a low carbdiet because Metformin for me, I know it's a wonderful drug for many people forkind of longevity. It didn't work. It was actually like, it gave me suchhorrendous digestive issues.
Boomer Anderson: [00:35:42]Can I say gastrointestinal distresses so that it just switched to berberine? Ordo you just keep it.
Angela Foster: [00:35:47]Um, at the time I didn't, I just kind of went on a lower carb diet. And Ibasically, like, I had lots of surgery, well, one set of surgery that basicallyremoved all the PCRs and endometriosis. And after that, I was very lucky.
I fell pregnant very quickly with my kids and I've alwaysfollowed a kind of. Paleo low carby style diet since, and that's kept it atBay. Um, so I'd had that little bit of experience. And then I was just like,wow, that's like, I'm changing my genetic expression. Cause like there's areally strong family history of diabetes.
And I was like this simple fix. So then I got into that, didsome training on it and I was working with clients and then getting results.And I was, I actually, do you know what? Maybe I could turn this experienceinto something different. Maybe I could actually, maybe it's happened to me soI can help others as much as I can.
Um, I wasn't ready to share what we've talked about. I'mgoing to be honest. It's, it's been quite difficult to share that, uh, for, fora very long time, because I couldn't ever talk about it. I remember sometimesmoms on the school run, you know, they'd say to my friends, I feel like shejust ignores me or walks past me.
And that was never my intention. It was so hard. Just. Thatsounds crazy from running multinational deals to finding it so difficult toface anybody on the school run, but that's where I'd got to. And I just wasfighting this very secret battle, but I wanted it to be a secret. I didn'twant, I didn't ever want anyone sympathy for it.
It was my thing that I just had to get through and I wasgonna come out of it. Um, but it was a long process and you know, my now I'vecome. The other side of it. I have not taken any medication in, I think 14months, I was told that, which for me is a big thing. Cause I was told by theconsultant psychiatrist that there was, I should be on it for the rest of mylife because it was very dangerous for me to come off it.
And it took me a long time to do it. It was a very gradualprocess. Um, but now I'm happy to say that. Yeah. I, I don't struggle with thatanymore. And if, if I, but my belief is now. It's hard. Cause it's painful whenI talk about it, but if it could help somebody in some small way, um, then,then I would feel grateful for it having happened if it can help someone elseby me sharing it.
Boomer Anderson: [00:38:02]Yeah. It's um, and I'm grateful for you sharing it because there's not thatmany people first that get on the other side of it and are able to stop themedication. But to, um, to another point is. You know, there's not the mainpeople that want to talk about it. Cause like you said, a lot of people perceivethis as their own battle and you know, it's through people like yourself thatwe now realize that it's not just you or sorry.
It's not just your own battle. It's a battle that otherpeople can help you with. And so thank you for sharing. Pleasure, Catherine,Angela, you're now working with some elite performers and you know, people witha time constraint, if you will. What would you say are commonalities among thisgroup, in terms of things you, you just kind of look back, or maybe evenlooking back on your own career and say like, ah, you should do this youngerAngela or, uh, you know, the commonalities that you see among this profession,
Angela Foster: [00:39:08]do you know, is this. This kind of free scent to dispense with sleep, which Ithink is so dangerous. It's like, do you know? It's like, I'm busy, I've got somuch to do, then you're always layering in. Yeah. So for, as we said in yourtwenties, you can get away with stuff and then somebody in your thirties, youstart adding more things into the mix.
And now you've got maybe a couple of kids, plus you'reworking and then. I just keep adding more. Then they become teenagers. Like oneof mine is now and there's more challenges and sleep is the first thing thatpeople let go of because it's almost like, well, I don't have time, so I canjust sort of skimp on that.
And actually what I try and do is encourage people becausereally it's, it affects your mental and physical health in such a profound way,but importantly, it also affects your productivity, affects your creativity.And there are some hacks that I use. Yeah. When I'm under slept for sure.Anonymous saying that I'm perfect every night, but I really massivelyprioritize and encourage other people to get their sleep right.
First, because I believe it's the foundation.
Boomer Anderson: [00:40:19]Let's talk about those hacks because I know that there are people listening tothis and just looking at like the statistics of it, right. Uh, the UnitedStates, which is where a lot of the use the listener base here is, um, Hassomething like an average of less than six hours a night for the wholepopulation.
Now the surveys may be flawed, but what are some of thethings that people can do if obviously they want to get seven, eight hoursevery night, but if you don't, what, what can we do?
Angela Foster: [00:40:49]So I think so in terms of w which question first in terms of how can theyenhance their sleep first? Or how can they, yeah, so I guess.
The biggest thing for me, I think is an issue that I see inpeople that can't sleep. Is that always on, and I think this is so common inthe executive and the corporate clients and the entrepreneurs. I see. They justcan't switch off because there's always something going on and it's so ready.Right. It's there on your phone all of the time, but they're not, they'reunderestimating how much of an impact that is having on their brain's abilityto wind down and actually get that rest.
So sometimes then they'll fall asleep and they're absolutelyexhausted. But they wake up in the middle of the night. So book-ending the dayis it doesn't really matter when you do it. Ideally you need to create somedistance and it isn't always possible if you're working on something that'sgoing through, you know, like when I'm working with some clients and they'vegot private equity deals that they're funding, um, it isn't, it's, it'sdifficult and maybe that window comes down.
It's not like. Two three hours, but it's even just 15minutes or half an hour, but to bookend it so that everything there's atransition, there's a, there's a gear change between you finishing work andwhat you're doing and everything you're focusing on and now getting ready forsleep. I would say that's a really important thing.
And getting that stuff out of your head onto a piece ofpaper or the notes on your phone can make a massive difference. Even setting analarm to remind you that you've got to do something the next day, becausepeople carry stuff in their head and they don't realize how much that'simpacting their sleep.
And then the second thing is taking the pressure offyourself because the more that you. Decide that you need to now sleep. The lesslikely you are. I think that sleep is like falling in love, right. It just kindof comes upon us. You can't go out looking for love and you can't go to bedtrying to sleep.
Right. Just like as well, you can't try to have a baby,right? You just will fall pregnant. Um, when it sort of happens. And so withsleep, I say, I, I find that once you take that pressure off, but you've givenyourself the opportunity to rest often you'll have the deepest sleep. And ifyou remind yourself that either way, your body is now.
Now resting it we'll get some regeneration arrest, even ifyou're not sleeping, but to do that, it has to feel safe. And so this is areally common one with travel and people aren't traveling as much as you gointo a hotel room and it feels unsafe. It's an unfamiliar environment. Youdon't quite realize it's unsafe, but you're just.
Very switched on and your mind switched on towards going on.Even just having a sleep mask, I'm blocking out like the smoke detector and theother lights that are in the room. Cause because as you know has such a massiveimpact suddenly makes you feel like you're in your cave and you're safe. Um,And I let the man to sleep mask for that.
Cause he's so comfortable, isn't it
Boomer Anderson: [00:43:44]with the pockets and then the weighted one, it's like,
Angela Foster: [00:43:48]Oh no, I try it the way. I just love that fact. You can open your eyes becauseof that padding that's around it. Um, so that for me, you know, makes itbetter. A big difference, but I think once you start with anything in life,once you take the pressure off, then actually things get easier.
And then obviously there are various bio-hacks and light isa massive one. So wearing blue blockers and things like that, and using apps onyour computer, which your listeners, they're an educated audience. So theyprobably ever heard you talk about before. Um, But I think then it's like,well, when I'm under slapped, there's two things.
If I'm under slept, what can I do? And then without justrelying on caffeine and pushing those adrenals too hard. And then also, how canI be so healthy that maybe I don't need as much sleep? As I would do if I wasless healthy. Does that make sense? So like how can you make sure you'redetoxifying correctly?
Make sure those pathways are working. How can you like limitwhat's coming in in terms of toxins and pesticides? How can you supportyourself nutritionally? How can you make sure you've got the right nutrients toactually enhance melatonin production and sleep as well? And how can you get.Really physically and mentally healthy that your body is more inclined tosleep, but also needs Leslie.
And then I also look at. Meditation. And I think we talkedabout this actually, when you came on my show, which was really fun, is thatwhen you're, when you're under slept actually a 15 minute meditation, can youput you into a sense of deep rest can revive you in a way for longer thancaffeine and actually rest your body.
Boomer Anderson: [00:45:26]Amazing. Those are, those are amazing tips, Angela. Let's. Talk a little bitmore about, um, just sort of when somebody comes in to work with you or you getto work with them, what's that experience like, how do you start working withthis audience? Because this audience and I work with a lot of these individualsas well, oftentimes is not.
Open to the idea of either them being wrong or them needingto change something. Uh, what take me through just sort of how you, you workwith these individuals in terms of how to open them up so that they're able to.To talk a little bit more freely.
Angela Foster: [00:46:05]So I find that, I think it's funny. Cause I was chatting about this with, uh,Emily Fletcher who founded Ziva meditation a few weeks back on the podcast is.
Actually coming at it from the performance angle is theeasiest way in a way to get those individuals to open up because they buy intothe fact that this might improve or will improve their performance. So it'skind of like, you know, like she was saying how meditation for performance,that's amazing.
But then actually when they get into it, They realize it'sway more spiritual and how it's affecting their creativity as well. But there'sthat spiritual dimension that's more accessible. And so I think we, I alwaysstart with clients, well, where are you now? Where do you want to get to? Andhow can we bridge that gap and enhance your performance?
And when they realize that it's going to have a dramaticimpact, then they're much more open to do it. And I think. Like anyone, right?The most accessible things are often the things that you can take. So asupplement or a set of blue light blocking glasses, and you can start small andthen you start to really like, look at their nutrition, their sleep, and youslowly layer each upon layer and build from there.
That's what I find, I don't know about you.
Boomer Anderson: [00:47:24]I mean, very similar, right? Like a lot of this crowd has. The blocks and theobstacles in the way, in terms of like sleep stress and nutrition and stressbeing the one that they tend to not want to acknowledge the most, which isinteresting in itself. But it's always about starting somewhere with thatlow-hanging fruit.
And for me, I've found that if you can get the low hangingfruit, right. And they start to succe see the success and how it improves theirlife. Well, that can be almost addictive in a way, and they want to get onboard with that. Um, so Angela, you
Angela Foster: [00:48:03]have,
Boomer Anderson: [00:48:05]you have, uh, a certain way, I believe on your website.
There's a certain plan by what you work with people. Can youjust give us sort of the high level overview of how that plan works?
Angela Foster: [00:48:15]Yeah. And so, um, so I kind of walk with people, I guess, in a range of ways.So some people overwork with one-to-one, if they feel like they want thatextra, um, kind of very bio-individual coaching.
And then, um, I also, because I know that not everybody has.Um, has the time, or maybe even has the budget for kind of one-to-one coaching.So I also run programs where I've put my methodology basically into a kind of90 day blueprint for people to optimize their body composition, their energy.And that's all based around the genetics as well.
So it teaches them. It's like a fairly good entry point intobiohacking because it teaches them. And I find it's interesting because comingback to your other point there on. I find that most individuals really actuallylike data, but they enjoy seeing the metrics. I don't know if you find this.And so then they realize the importance of it.
It's like a lot of people can't, you know, they don't necessarilywant to do less exercise because they're really enjoying it. But then when theysee their heart rate variability and they find actually, yeah, Maybe I am kindof hammering myself a bit too hard on too consistent of basis. If I step itback a little bit, or they've got abdominal fat that they just can't seem toshift and they start to see the connection that actually that stress, andthat's really mucking around with my blood sugar, regardless of what I'meating.
The cortisol is having an effect when I delve things back.And now that actually starts to fall off, they can feel that result. So, um,Yeah. As I say, I do have a, um, a 90 day program that people can do thatteaches them some of this and how to do it and how to understand key parts oftheir body so that they can start to build a greater compliance withthemselves.
And it's just, you know, certain things that can help themand give them like the fast track to success and just remove some of theguesswork. And as part of that, I always involve some group coaching so thatpeople can come on to and have questions on a zoom call. I kept pretty smalland they can get that, that coaching alongside.
And then if people want one-to-one as well, I do that. Andthen obviously the corporate presentations as well.
Boomer Anderson: [00:50:26]Amazing. Angela, I have a few final questions for you, and these are, you canthink of these as kind of fun, rapid fire questions, if it's okay. Um, what doyou think, or what excites you most about the health world right now?
Angela Foster: [00:50:41]Empowering people. I always say empowering. I like to empower people to becomethe CEO of their health. And I think it is a really empowering time to be in. Iknow this year we've had a really tough year with COVID and people have feelthere's been a lot of. Fair. That's being created as a result of that.
But in reality, the market is moving so fast and there's somuch coming out and that's so much more affordable than it ever was before totrack and test and self quantify. And then really understand that I thinkpeople can really start to take charge of the house. So I think it's reallyexciting time.
Boomer Anderson: [00:51:16]Amazing top trick for enhancing focus.
Angela Foster: [00:51:21]I think basically avoiding carbohydrates until later in the day that you firstget your best work done before you start eating carbs. If you're going to eatthem at all,
Boomer Anderson: [00:51:34]what is the book that has most impacted your life?
Angela Foster: [00:51:44]So it's funny. I mentioned the seven spiritual laws of success. That's one. Theother one is breaking the habit of being yourself by dope to Joe Dispenza. Um,yeah, there's been a few, um, I've read, I've read so many books. It's hard tolike take one out and sell. I mean, another one that's really impacted me in abig way recently, because I discovered that I do carry the APO E four gene one.
Copy is the end of Alzheimer's by Dr. Dale Bredesen. That'sjust a hugely empowering book about how to, how to always kind of keep yourcognition.
Boomer Anderson: [00:52:22]Um, and just for people listening, the APO four gene or the, the, uh, Lele.Like you're talking about. Um, so I guess then if you're only one, so you'rethree, four, um, or two, four, I don't actually know.
Um, but, uh, so if you're three, four, what does thatexactly imply
Angela Foster: [00:52:41]for a piece of basically most people are . And that gives them about a 9% riskof ever getting it. So I also am, as unfortunately, most things are, well,everything is apart from things like, um, things like down syndrome would beone example, right?
It's in the epigenetics and it's environmental and it stillis with Alzheimer's. It's just that there is a strong genetic component to it.So if you have two copies of APO three, The annual risk is about 9%. If youcarry one, three, and one, four, it goes up to about 30%. And then if it's twocopies of APO four, it's 50% plus.
So it's much higher. So what, but I see that as empowering.I see that as well. What can I now do to make sure that I really protect, andthat comes back, you know, to all the things that you can do and enhancing thatlymphatic drainage and things that happen at night to really keep your.Cognition
Boomer Anderson: [00:53:34]and the saturated fat connection. Right?
Angela Foster: [00:53:37]Exactly.
Boomer Anderson: [00:53:38]So maybe no butter coffee for Angela. I guess
Angela Foster: [00:53:42]I'm not a massive, it's funny, actually, that's one reason I don't drinkBulletproof coffee every day. But I do love butter, but I actually, I'm notthat big a fan of it and my coffee, they oiliness for me just doesn't work. Ilove collagen coffee.
Yeah. That's nice. Cause slightly creamy.
Boomer Anderson: [00:54:01]I'm just like, I'm such a coffee fanatic that if I throw butter in and I justfeel like I'm running the coffee beans. So I mean, somebody is going toprobably comment on that. That one, but, uh, Angela, where can people find outmore about you? This has been so much fun.
I'm sure we're going to do it again soon.
Angela Foster: [00:54:17]I'd love to, it's been really fun. Um, thank you. So people can findme@angelafosterperformance.com. Um, I'm also pretty active as you know, onInstagram, which is Angela S. Foster or the podcast high-performance healthpodcast.
Boomer Anderson: [00:54:30]And we'll link to all of this in the show notes.
Angela, this is been so much fun. Thank you for sharing somuch with the audience today.
Angela Foster: [00:54:38]Thanks so much. It's been my absolute pleasure.
Boomer Anderson: [00:54:44]I really enjoyed. Angela's willingness to open up on today's podcast anddiscuss what is something that often gets really swiped underneath the rug,which is depression. If you enjoyed the podcast, please share it with a friend,head on over to YouTube subscribe or leave a five star rating on Applepodcasts.
Again, the show notes for this one are decoding.superhuman.com/angela. And I'll see you next week.
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