Wellness Calendar
A year of taking care of you
Health awareness months for 2027 with one simple action each, what's fresh in Pennsylvania every month, a 4-week starter challenge, a daily routine and a habit tracker you can print.
2027 calendarIn season4-week challengeHabit tracker
How to use this page
One month, one action
Nobody changes everything at once. Each month below has a health theme and one thing to do: book a test, try a recipe, call your mother about her blood pressure. Twelve small actions add up to a different year.
- Put your screenings on your phone calendar the first week of the month.
- Shop the produce list for that month; in-season food is cheaper and tastes better.
- Start the 4-week challenge any Monday. Print the tracker and put it on the refrigerator.
I keep a paper calendar on my kitchen wall, and the doctor's appointments go on it in red ink. If it's not written down, it's not happening. Write it down, sis.
2027 at a glance
Health awareness calendar
Dates are for 2027. Some observances are set by advocacy groups rather than law, so their dates can shift; we note those.
- Cervical Health Awareness Month
Cervical cancer is caused by HPV, and it is very preventable with screening and the vaccine.
- Black History Month
- American Heart Month
- National Wear Red Day: Fri, Feb 5, 2027
- National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: Feb 7
- National Nutrition Month
- Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
- National Kidney Month; World Kidney Day: Thu, Mar 11, 2027
- National TNBC Day: Mar 3
- Endometriosis Awareness Month
- National Minority Health Month
- Black Maternal Health Week: Apr 11–17
- World Health Day: Apr 7
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- Lupus Awareness Month; World Lupus Day: May 10
- High Blood Pressure Education Month
- Osteoporosis Month
- National Women's Health Week: starts Mother's Day, May 9, 2027
- Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month
- Juneteenth: June 19
- National Cancer Survivors Day: Sun, Jun 6, 2027
- Men's Health Month
- BIPOC (Bebe Moore Campbell) Minority Mental Health Month
- Fibroid Awareness Month (promoted by advocacy groups)
- UV Safety Month
- National Immunization Awareness Month
- Black Breastfeeding Week: Aug 25–31
- Peak Pennsylvania produce month
- PCOS Awareness Month
- Sickle Cell Awareness Month
- Gynecologic and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Months
- National Cholesterol Education Month
- Fruits & Veggies Month
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day: Oct 13
- World Mental Health Day: Oct 10
- National Diabetes Month
- World Diabetes Day: Nov 14
- Lung Cancer Awareness Month
- Thanksgiving: Nov 25, 2027
- World AIDS Day: Dec 1
- Holiday season
Sources: Go Red for Women · Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · NIMHD Minority Health Month · Black Mamas Matter Alliance · CDC Hear Her · MHA BIPOC Mental Health Month · Lupus Foundation · Alzheimer's Association · American Diabetes Association · National Breast Cancer Foundation · USPSTF breast screening · CDC prediabetes
Eat with the seasons
What's fresh in Pennsylvania, month by month
Based on Penn State Extension's harvest calendar. Winter months lean on "storage crops" (apples, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, squash) and Pennsylvania mushrooms, which are local all year. Items marked † are typical Mid-Atlantic market finds; check with your vendor.
Okra, collards, black-eyed peas and watermelon all have African roots, and all of them grow well here in summer and fall.
| Month | In season (fresh) | Storage / year-round local | Cook this month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | — | Apples, potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, beets, winter squash†, sweet potatoes†; mushrooms (Kennett Square); greenhouse greens† | Black-eyed pea soup · Red lentil soup |
| Feb | — | Same storage crops; mushrooms; greenhouse greens† | Baked salmon with garlicky collards · Sorrel cooler for Wear Red Day |
| Mar | — | Storage apples, potatoes, onions; mushrooms; early high-tunnel greens† | Turkey chili with three beans · Oatmeal with flax and berries |
| Apr | Rhubarb†, ramps†, early greens† | Mushrooms; last storage apples and potatoes | Callaloo and egg scramble · Spearmint tea |
| May | Asparagus, spinach, radishes, rhubarb†, lettuce (late) | Mushrooms | Berry-spinach smoothie · Egg and vegetable muffins |
| Jun | Strawberries, peas, cherries, lettuce, spinach, radishes, asparagus (early), broccoli; cabbage and beans (late); collards and kale† | Mushrooms | Strawberry-orange juice · Juneteenth hibiscus cooler · Jerk chicken bowl |
| Jul | Blueberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, squash, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower; early apples (late July) | Mushrooms | Black-eyed pea "Texas caviar" salad · Cucumber-mint spa water |
| Aug | Peaches, blueberries, melons, pears, plums, grapes, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, beans, beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, squash, cauliflower, apples, okra†, watermelon†; spinach returns | Mushrooms | Okra-tomato stew · Shrimp, okra and tomato stew · Fruit salad with lime and mint |
| Sep | Apples, pears, grapes, plums, peaches and blueberries (to 3rd week), melons, raspberries, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes†, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet corn, beans, potatoes, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, collards† | Mushrooms | Apple nachos · Jollof with brown rice |
| Oct | Apples, pears, grapes, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, tomatoes (to 3rd week), raspberries, beans (early), broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce, radishes, collards and kale† | Mushrooms | Collards with smoked turkey · Stuffed sweet potatoes · Sweet potato pie smoothie |
| Nov | Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beets (to late Nov), radishes and squash (1st week), collards and kale† (sweeter after frost) | Apples, potatoes, onions, winter squash, sweet potatoes | Roasted sweet potato wedges · Baked mac with hidden vegetables · Skillet cornbread, less salt |
| Dec | — | Storage apples, potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, beets, winter squash, sweet potatoes; mushrooms | Golden milk · Sorrel mocktails · Ruby Root juice |
Use your benefits
Many Food Trust farmers markets in Philadelphia accept SNAP and offer Philly Food Bucks for extra produce. WIC families can get seasonal market checks.
This month's crown foods
Blueberries and tomatoes. Berries bring anthocyanins and tomatoes bring lycopene and potassium for the heart and blood pressure.
This month's crown foods
Collards and sweet potatoes. Calcium and vitamin K for bones; potassium and fiber for blood pressure. Warfarin users: keep greens steady.
Sources: Penn State Extension Harvest Calendar · PA Department of Agriculture · PA Preferred · The Food Trust · Roots: Carney & Rosomoff
Start any Monday
"Get on the right track" 4-week starter challenge
Each week adds one small habit in five areas. Keep last week's habits as you add the new ones. Miss a day? Pick it back up tomorrow. That's the whole rule.
| Week | Food | Movement | Mind | Hair & skin | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 Start small | Drink water before every meal. Swap one sugary drink a day for water or unsweetened tea. | 10-minute walk after dinner, 5 days. | Write 3 things you're grateful for each night. | Sunscreen (SPF 30+) every morning, face, neck and hands. | Same bedtime every night, even weekends (within 30 minutes). |
| Week 2 Add color | Half your plate vegetables at dinner. One bean meal this week. | Walks up to 20 minutes. Add 2 days of stretching or home yoga. | 5 minutes of slow breathing or prayer each morning. | Satin bonnet or pillowcase every night. Moisturize on damp skin after showering. | Screens off 30 minutes before bed. |
| Week 3 Cook it | Cook at home 5 nights. Use salt-free seasoning instead of seasoning salt. Read one food label a day. | Walks to 30 minutes, 5 days (that's 150 minutes a week). Add 2 days of strength: squats, wall push-ups, cans as weights. | Call or sit with one friend or sister this week. Real talk, not text. | Check your edges: loosen any style that pulls or hurts. Scalp massage 3 times. | Bedroom cool, dark and quiet. Chamomile or rooibos instead of late coffee. |
| Week 4 Make it yours | Sunday prep pot for the week. Fish twice this week. Try one new African or Caribbean dish. | Keep 150 minutes plus 2 strength days. Invite someone to walk with you. | Journal: what changed? What will you keep? Book one checkup or screening. | Patch test and try one DIY recipe (shea body butter or oat-honey mask). | Aim for 7 or more hours (teens 8–10). |
Strength at every age
Adults need muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week, in addition to 150 minutes of moderate activity like brisk walking (CDC).
Sleep is medicine
Adults need 7 or more hours; teens need 8–10. Poor sleep is linked to high blood pressure, weight gain and low mood.
Do it with your sisters
Start the challenge with a friend, your church group or your daughters. Check in every Sunday. Support makes habits stick.
Sources: CDC physical activity guidelines · CDC sleep · AAD sunscreen · AAD traction alopecia · NHLBI DASH
A day, gently planned
Daily routine planner
A sample day. Move the times to fit your shifts and your family. What matters is the rhythm, not the clock.
Wake up · 6:00–7:00 am
Morning
- A glass of water before coffee.
- 5 minutes of prayer, breathing or quiet.
- Take medicines as prescribed.
- Gentle cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen SPF 30+.
- Breakfast with protein: eggs, oatmeal with seeds, Greek yogurt.
Midday · 11:30 am–1:30 pm
Midday
- Lunch from your prep pot: beans, greens, fish or chicken.
- A 10-minute walk outside (sunlight and movement).
- Refill your water bottle.
- Stand and stretch if you sit all day.
Afternoon · 3:00–5:00 pm
Afternoon
- Snack: apple with peanut butter, roasted chickpeas or carrots and hummus.
- Last caffeine of the day.
- Check in on someone: a text to your mother, your sister, your friend.
Evening · 6:00–8:00 pm
Evening
- Dinner: half the plate vegetables.
- 20–30 minute walk, or strength moves 2 days a week.
- Set out tomorrow's lunch.
- Check blood pressure if your doctor asked you to.
Wind down · 9:00–10:00 pm
Night
- Screens off 30 minutes before bed.
- Chamomile or rooibos tea (caffeine-free).
- Moisturize skin; satin bonnet or scarf on.
- Write 3 good things from today.
- Lights out at the same time each night.
Weekly rhythm
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Prep pot, grocery list, plan the week, rest |
| Monday | Walk + strength |
| Tuesday | Walk + new recipe night |
| Wednesday | Yoga or stretching + hot oil or scalp massage |
| Thursday | Walk + strength + fish for dinner |
| Friday | Walk with a friend; oven-fried fish night |
| Saturday | Farmers market, dance, garden, family |
Some days the routine falls apart. Kids get sick, work runs long. That's life. Give yourself grace, drink your water, and start fresh tomorrow. A habit is what you come back to.
Sources: CDC physical activity · CDC sleep · AHA home blood pressure monitoring · ADA plate method
Check it off
Printable habit tracker
Print one page for each week of the challenge. Check a box each day you do the habit. Aim for most days, not perfect days.
Name: ______________________ Week of: ______________ Week #: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
| Habit | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water before every meal | |||||||
| No sugary drinks | |||||||
| Half my plate vegetables | |||||||
| Beans, fish or lean protein (no processed meat) | |||||||
| Cooked at home | |||||||
| Walked or moved 20–30 minutes | |||||||
| Strength moves (2 days a week) | |||||||
| Prayer, breathing or quiet (5 min) | |||||||
| 3 good things written down | |||||||
| Sunscreen in the morning | |||||||
| Moisturized; bonnet at night | |||||||
| Medicines taken as prescribed | |||||||
| Screens off 30 min before bed | |||||||
| 7+ hours of sleep | |||||||
| My own habit: ____________ |
My numbers this month
Blood pressure: ________ / ________
Weight or waist (optional): ________
A1C or blood sugar (if checked): ________
Next checkup or screening: ________________
This week I'm proud of...
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Built from the 4-week challenge above. Sources: CDC · AHA · AAD
Every month is a fresh start
Pair this calendar with the foods on our Food page and the recipes in our recipe box.
Food as MedicineRecipes & RemediesPhilly Guide