It is World Cup season, so we are doing a two part series on performing under pressure. Part I is the science: what actually happens in your brain and body the second the stakes spike. We meet your amygdala (the alarm) and your prefrontal cortex (your working memory and calm decision maker), and we find out why pressure can dim the exact system you need most. We break down what choking really is, why it hits the most talented people hardest, and why women's stress wiring, thanks to oxytocin and estrogen, can play out differently. Part II is the toolkit for training through it.

Hosted by Dr. Kelsy Vick, a board certified orthopedic Dr. of PT and women's health PT. Expert led, science backed wellness girl chats for women in their 20s and 30s.

Smart Girl Newspaper, her weekly newsletter and growing media universe, is linked below.

82:: The science of female friendships: https://wellness-big-sis-the-pod.captivate.fm/episode/pod-82/

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RESOURCES:

Stress can sharply reduce prefrontal cortex function and working memory. Supports the "up to 50 percent" blanking claim and the amygdala versus prefrontal cortex framing. The strongest citation is Arnsten's review rather than a single "50 percent" stat, so frame it as stress dramatically weakening the prefrontal cortex rather than a hard number if you want to be safe. Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2907136/

Choking is a working memory glitch, and high working memory people choke hardest. Supports Segment 2. Beilock, S. L., and Carr, T. H. (2005). When high powered people fail: Working memory and choking under pressure in math. Psychological Science. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.00789.x

Related follow up on pressure reducing working memory and fluid intelligence: Beilock, S. L., and DeCaro, M. S. (2007). Choking under pressure and working memory capacity. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17484426/

Women's stress response can lean toward tend and befriend, driven by oxytocin and estrogen. Supports Segment 3. Taylor, S. E., et al. (2000). Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend and befriend, not fight or flight. Psychological Review. https://taylorlab.psych.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/2000_Biobehavioral-responses-to-stress-in-females_tend-and-befriend.pdf

Two things are happening simultaneously right now: America's 250th birthday and the World Cup on American soil. And the intersection of those two things raises a genuinely interesting health and wellness question — what does the research actually say about shared experiences across cultural lines?

In this episode Dr. Kelsy Vick brings her honest, all-angles approach to one of the most talked-about cultural moments of 2026. The science of collective sporting experiences, cross-cultural contact, social connection and longevity, team sport vs. individual sport, and 250 years of women in American sport — all covered with the complete picture, not just the highlight reel.

What you'll learn:

• What the research consistently supports about shared experiences and collective events
• The contact hypothesis — what it says AND what it doesn't
• Why the South Korean and Mexican fan moment at the World Cup is both real and more complicated than the coverage suggests
• What a systematic review of 29 studies and 239,000 adults found about team sport vs. individual sport and mental health
• 250 years of women in American sport — the real numbers on both the progress and the gaps
• Where the honest limits of the "shared experiences change you" narrative actually are

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• Holt-Lunstad (2024) — World Psychiatry / PMC — Social connection and health
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11403199/
• Eather et al. (2023) — Systematic Reviews / PMC — Sport, mental health & social outcomes in adults
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10286465/
• Pluhar et al. (2019) — Journal of Sports Science & Medicine / PMC — Team vs. individual sport and mental health
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683619/
• PMC (2025) — Frontiers in Psychology — Memorable tourism & psychological richness
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11995712/
• Oishi & Westgate (2022) — Psychological richness framework

Crash dieting before your wedding is not the answer. And today's guest has the evidence-based framework to prove it.

Dr. Kelsy Vick sits down with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner Bayleigh Wessel — founder of Balance Blue Collective — for the most practical, sustainable, and science-backed bridal nutrition conversation you are going to find. From protein baselines to blood sugar stability, hormone health to body composition — this episode covers the full 10-month runway to looking and feeling your absolute best.

What you'll learn:

• Why body composition matters more than the scale or BMI
• The add-before-subtract nutrition approach that actually works
• Why eating enough — especially protein — is non-negotiable for body recomposition
• The 10-12 month bridal nutrition timeline broken down phase by phase
• How underfueling and overexercising directly impact your hormones and cycle
• What to prioritize in the final months — hydration, inflammation reduction, and stability
• Why DEXA scans are the gold standard for tracking real progress
• Plus — Bayleigh announces her new podcast No Extremes launching July 8th

Links/Research Articles:

Bayleigh’s Website: https://www.balancebluecollectivellc.com/

Work With Bayleigh: https://balancebluecollectivellc.practicebetter.io/#/6303dccaf1314592c6e3e89a/bookings?s=64caec56aa6a6fd4822c505c

Bayleigh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dietitianbayleigh/

Bayleigh’s Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dietitianbayleigh

No Extremes Podcast Waitlist: https://balancebluecollective.myflodesk.com/podcast?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnFucDrG7W3ZqsCKd51U6H9DKqJdyej1i_Ts9o2Djdo68jdUfAOfXn4vcNMKc_aem_TCdqwlup4TL4GMSPtytWCg

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Your skin on your wedding day is not something you want to figure out last minute. And according to today's guest — it's also not something you want to experiment with close to the date.

Dr. Kelsy Vick sits down with Claire — a Columbia-trained, board-certified nurse practitioner and cosmetic injector — for the most practical, honest, evidence-based bridal skin prep conversation on the internet. From the mistakes brides make most often to the exact timeline you should be following — this episode covers everything.

What you'll learn:

• The most common bridal skin mistakes — and why panic-changing your routine is at the top of the list
• Why you should never try Botox, filler, or a new procedure for the first time close to your wedding date
• The 12-month, 6-month, and 3-month skin prep timeline — broken down clearly
• What treatments are actually evidence-backed — and which ones are overhyped
• What to prioritize in wedding week — sleep, hydration, and barrier protection
• The TikTok skin advice you need to stop following immediately

Whether you're a bride, a MOH, or just someone who wants better skin — this episode is for you.

Links/Research Articles:

Dr. Claire’s Booking Link: https://www.myvelour.com/provider/claire-schwegel-del-signore/services?locationType=in-suite

Dr. Claire’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confidencebyclaire/

Dr. Claire’s Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@confidencebyclaire

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Nobody puts this in the wedding planning timeline. But it might be the most important tool you have.

In this episode of the Science-Backed Wedding Prep Series, Dr. Kelsy Vick breaks down how learning to read your menstrual cycle as health data can transform your engagement season — from how you schedule high-stakes wedding moments to how you train, fuel, recover, sleep, and show up emotionally on the days that matter most.

This is not cycle syncing. This is individualized cycle awareness — and it changes everything.

What you'll learn:

• Why your menstrual cycle is the most underrated wedding prep tool you're not using
• A phase-by-phase breakdown of what your body is doing and why
• How to schedule hair trials, dress fittings, and vendor meetings around your cycle
• What to eat, how to train, and how to recover in each phase
• Why your energy, confidence, and emotional resilience fluctuate predictably — and how to work with it
• How cycle awareness builds fertility literacy for your future

Peer-Reviewed Resources:

• Elorduy-Terrado et al. (2025) — Muscles / PMC — Hormonal fluctuations & female athletic performance systematic review 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12195628/
• Meignié et al. (2021) — Frontiers in Physiology / PMC — Menstrual cycle phase & elite athlete performance 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8170151/
• Helm, McGinnis & Basu (2021) — IJERPH / PMC — Nutrition interventions across menstrual cycle phases 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8296102/

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Forget the 6-week bridal crash plan. There is a smarter, more sustainable, and more science-backed way to look and feel your absolute best on your wedding day — and it starts right here.

In this episode, Dr. Kelsy Vick — board-certified orthopedic DPT and pelvic floor physical therapist — kicks off the Wedding Prep Series with the real framework for body recomposition: losing fat while building or maintaining muscle over months, not weeks, without crash dieting or overexercising.

What you'll learn:

• Why body recomposition beats crash dieting every time — and what the research actually supports
• The exercise handbag essentials every bride needs: strength training, jump training, and HIIT
• What true muscular fatigue actually means and why it matters for results
• The research on HIIT, sprint interval training, and visceral fat reduction in women
• Why recovery is not optional — and what the optimal training week actually looks like
• How a DEXA scan can objectively track your progress before the wedding
• Fueling basics — protein, calories, and creatine — including a luteal phase loading protocol

Links:

Dr. Katie's Episode: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/077def9c-370a-4963-b662-8d1f61256f73/

Exercise handbag series: https://player.captivate.fm/collection/edd38a37-6dd0-42b5-ac60-e8c2ff8b0419

Devil Wears Prada Cortisol Episode: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a04568e4-b4c2-4194-9a44-81508ac46555/

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insta:: @dr.kelsyvickdpt & @wellnessbigsispod

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On May 12th, 2026, a landmark paper published in The Lancet officially renamed polycystic ovary syndrome to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome — PMOS. The result of 14 years of work, 56 international organizations, and 22,000 voices from around the world.

This is not a cosmetic rebrand. This is a clinical correction — and it changes how this condition affecting 170 million women worldwide will be diagnosed, treated, and researched for generations to come.

In this episode, Dr. Kelsy Vick breaks down everything:

• Why the old name PCOS was clinically inaccurate and actively harmful
• What PMOS actually stands for and why every word matters
• The real biology of this condition — far beyond ovarian cysts
• Why 70% of women with PMOS are undiagnosed — and how the name contributed to that
• What changes in diagnosis, treatment, and research globally
• What this means practically if you have a diagnosis, suspect you might, or have ever been dismissed

This is the episode 170 million women deserve to hear.

• Teede et al. (2026) — The Lancet — Official global consensus name change 📎 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00717-8/fulltext
• STAT News (May 12, 2026) — Full renaming process coverage 📎 https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/12/pcos-now-called-pmos-polyendocrine-metabolic-ovarian-syndrome/
• University of Colorado Anschutz (May 12, 2026) — U.S. researcher involvement 📎 https://news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stories/pcos-new-name
• Endocrine Society — Official statement on PMOS 📎 https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2026/pcos-name-change
• Contemporary OB/GYN — Clinical implications of PMOS 📎 https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/global-consensus-renames-pcos-to-polyendocrine-metabolic-ovarian-syndrome-pmos-
• CNN Health — Patient-facing reporting on the name change 📎 https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/13/health/pcos-name-change-pmos-wellness
• PMC — From ovarian to endocrine-metabolic roots 📎 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12748392/

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#PMOSNotPCOS #PCOSNameChange #PolyendocrineMetabolicOvarianSyndrome #WomensHormoneHealth #WomensHealthPodcast