alive's 12 Months of Wellness Challenge

Welcome to our 12 Months of Wellness challenge. At alive, we believe the way you approach your health and wellness has forever been changed. And let’s be real here; 2020 wasn’t an easy year. Since the onset of COVID-19, we’ve been reminded just how important it is to keep our families safe and well, with a stronger focus on health than ever before.

We’re gearing up for a healthy, happy, and hopeful 2021. As part of that plan, we’d like to invite you to join alive’s 2021 12 Months of Wellness challenge. Join us on a natural health journey that will fill your year with exciting challenges, positive encouragement, and healthy, delicious food. Ready to get started? Join now by subscribing to our newsletter.

Moving forward, don’t make resolutions. Make changes! That’s why we created this 12 Months of Wellness challenge. Each month, we’ll focus on one—achievable—theme that will help you tackle a new natural lifestyle technique and embrace our message of wellness for the new year. We'll offer you wellness tips, challenges, and giveaways to keep you motivated and goal-oriented all year long.

Big changes don’t happen overnight and, while commitment comes from within, this climb isn’t a solo mission. We’re taking these monthly challenges step by step and day by day together. You in?

Get ready to make the most of 2021! alive’s 12 Months of Wellness challenge will help you make it a year to remember.

So what are the next steps?

Step 1

To join our challenge, enter your email address above. You'll receive our monthly 12 Months of Wellness newsletter, featuring challenge details, exclusive tips, and the chance to win amazing prizes.

Step 2

Encourage others to join. Ask your loved ones if they'll participate with you (just send them to this page!). Let's build a stronger, healthier, community together.

Step 3

Each month, we'll send you a PDF calendar with weekly tips so you can track your progress. Either print or screenshot the calendar for easy reference.

Step 4

Get well! Each time you complete a challenge activity, mark your calendar, then share how it's going with us on social media. (On Instagram, use the hashtag #aliveWellnessChallenge and follow us @alivehealth). Ask questions and share tips. We're all in this together.

Step 5

Win prizes. We've put together some ahhh-mazing giveaways with our wellness partners to support your journey. Get exclusive entry details in our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook for details on how you can win.

And what are the 12 Months of Wellness challenge themes?

Here's a sneak peek at what you can expect from each month of 2021. (And then stay tuned for more details!)

January

Go plant-based for 31 days

Eating plant-based meals has many positive health benefits. It helps manage blood sugar, is heart healthy, and also protects our planet and all living beings through ethical food choices that support animal welfare. Let’s show ourselves, and the world, a little love.

Get a head start: Get cozy with some vegan Sweet Potato Curry.

February

Exercise for heart health

A strong heart is a healthy heart. Let’s show our hearts the love they deserve by taking each day as an opportunity to get our bodies moving. By strengthening our hearts, we reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease and manage risk factors like high cholesterol and obesity. It all starts with our hearts.

Get a head start: Take your at-home fitness routine to the next level.

March

Dedicate to meditate

Becoming still and quieting our minds has multiple benefits. Let’s replenish our minds and bodies with daily moments of meditation. Mere minutes each day can help decrease anxiety, improve sleep, and calm the nervous system. Allow for moments of joy as you relax into stillness.

Get a head start: Read up on meditation for beginners.

April

Cook for immune health

Our immune systems fight hard to keep us healthy. Support your immune health through the foods you eat. Try nourishing recipes that are chalk-full of nutrients important for our immune function. Let’s protect our health, one meal at a time.

Get a head start: Whip up this immune-supporting Citrus Ginger Shake.

May

Make each morning magical

Life can be challenging, but your mornings don’t have to be. The quiet that comes before others awake is an excellent time to charge our brains, enjoy some quiet reflection, and embrace the day to come. Enjoy the world in a new light this month.

Get a head start: Make your mornings bright with Good Morning Muesli. 

June

Appreciate nature daily

Nature is full of valuable lessons and offers a multitude of calm, healing energy. Getting in tune with nature will nurture mental health, ease stress, and boost creativity. Time spent outside also reduces risk of cardiovascular issues and promotes immune support. Experience the earth’s energy and embrace it raw and unrefined.

Get a head start: Here are 5 reasons why appreciating nature is so important during COVID-19.

July

Let go each day

Feeling weighed down by a harmful habit or a damaging distraction? Try letting go of habits or behaviours that aren’t beneficial to your health. From technology and social media to caffeine, inactivity, and alcohol, this month, let go a little each day and enjoy your life with a renewed sense of freedom.

Get a head start: Learn how to change your brain.

August

Try a new therapy

Therapy, in many alternative forms, has existed for centuries across cultures for both emotional and physical healing. This month, explore the realm of healing possibilities, and restore your mind and body with an alternative therapy. Try muscle-relaxing massage or acupuncture, energy-healing practices like qigong or reiki, or visit a naturopath or homeopathic doctor for a fresh perspective and some healing potential.

Get a head start: Here are 5 things you might not know about acupuncture.

September

Shop local

September brings us a new season and a new school year, but your local farmer's market is still in full swing, offering you a bounty of fresh and local produce. Tomatoes, potatoes, beets, squash, apples, melons, figs, and more are in season this time of year, adding colour to your plate and soul to your food!

Get a head start: Grow kids' appreciation for local food.

October

Make time for self-care

It’s time to check in-with ourselves. Whether self-care is “me” time and relaxation or eating well and getting enough sleep, it’s important to strive for balance each day. We all face unique challenges and life circumstances, so discover what defines self-care for you and add a little to your regular routine. Love yourself a little more.

Get a head start: Learn why giving permission to love yourself is so important.

November

Find sugar freedom

While sugar may add some sweetness to our lives, what comes after isn’t so sweet. Sugar is a contributing factor to short term and chronic health concerns from acne to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Let’s support our skin and nourish our bodies with a taste of sugar freedom.

Get a head start: Learn how to regulate your blood sugar ... naturally

December

Embrace low-waste holidays

The holidays bring the warmth of friends and family, but it’s also the season of giving back. Let’s get creative and give back to the earth with waste-conscious presents and packaging. Each year Canadians produce 110 pounds of garbage per person. Let’s give our planet the gift of a greener, cleaner future for all.

Get a head start: Here's how to reduce your Christmas waste.