Everyday
Ragi (finger millet) flour
One of the better plant sources of calcium available in India, and badly underused outside the south.
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Everyday
Mixed nuts, unsalted
A handful covers the fats the body needs to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K at all.
Kitchen staple
Cold-pressed groundnut oil
A neutral everyday cooking oil. Fat is not the enemy; it is how several vitamins get absorbed.
Fills a real gap
Vitamin D3 supplement
Deficiency is common in Indian cities even in sunny ones, because people work indoors. Worth testing before starting.
Reading
A book on nutrition
Judge it by whether it cites anything, admits uncertainty, and is not quietly selling a supplement line.
Test first
Iron supplement with vitamin C
For deficiency confirmed by a blood test, not on a hunch - excess iron is harmful.
Traditional
Tulsi and ginger tea
Ginger for nausea is one of the better-evidenced herbal uses there is.
For practice
Rudraksha mala, 108 beads
A counting aid for japa. The tactile repetition genuinely helps hold attention - the bead is not doing anything to your body.
Kitchen staple
Whole spices set
Whole spices hold their flavour far longer than ground ones, and food you enjoy is food you keep eating.
Traditional
Ashwagandha capsules
A traditional adaptogen with some supportive evidence for stress. It interacts with thyroid medication - tell your doctor.
Traditional
Triphala powder
A long-standing Ayurvedic preparation for digestion, with some supportive evidence.
Once the habit sticks
Adjustable dumbbells
Buy these after three months of consistency, not before. Gear bought for motivation becomes furniture.
Everyday
Insulated water bottle
Thirst is a late signal, not an early one. A bottle within reach is most of the solution.
Start small
Indoor plant pots and seeds
Herbs are the best place to begin: forgiving, expensive to buy in small amounts, and you will use them.
Atmosphere
Incense sticks
Ritual marks the practice as separate from the rest of the day. Open a window - incense smoke is particulate matter.
Kitchen staple
Airtight storage jars
Dal, rice and flour keep for months in these and weeks in an open packet.
Everyday
Flaxseed and walnuts
The plant form of omega-3, which vegetarian diets are most often short of.
Keep at home
Oral rehydration salts (ORS)
When sweating has been heavy for hours, plain water is not enough on its own. Salt matters too.
Know your numbers
Digital blood pressure monitor
Blood pressure is silent. It is one of four numbers most Indian adults over thirty should know and do not.
Know your numbers
Weighing scale
Weight that changes without you trying - in either direction - is a symptom worth catching.
Everyday
Fragrance-free moisturiser
Fragrance is the most common irritant in the whole category. On unhappy skin, plainer is the treatment.
Traditional
Pure coconut oil
There is decent evidence it reduces protein loss from the hair shaft. The traditional practice holds up.
Traditional
Aloe vera gel
Soothing and hydrating, with reasonable evidence for minor burns. Patch-test before it goes near your face.
Works
Ketoconazole shampoo
Dandruff is usually a yeast overgrowth rather than dryness. Use it consistently for a few weeks.
Know your numbers
Glucometer with test strips
For anyone managing blood sugar. Feeling fine is the normal state of poorly controlled diabetes.
First aid
Digital thermometer
Basic, cheap, and the first thing you want when someone in the house is unwell.
First aid
Pulse oximeter
A simple reading of blood oxygen. Useful to have; not a substitute for calling a doctor.
Keep at home
Home first aid kit
Dressings, antiseptic, tape and scissors, in one box you can find in the dark.
Highest value
Broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF 50
The single highest-value item in personal care, and the one most often skipped in India.
Everyday
Plain soap, multipack
Antibacterial soap is no better than plain soap for everyday use. The twenty seconds matters more than the bottle.
After the habit
Meditation cushion
It lets your hips sit above your knees, so the lower back is not fighting you. A folded blanket does the same job.
Reading
A book on meditation practice
The good ones give you something to do early, rather than three hundred pages of preamble.
Comfort
Knee support
For comfort while you keep moving. Movement is the treatment; this makes it easier.
Plant protein powder
Convenience
Plant protein powder
Food, not medicine. Useful if you genuinely struggle to reach your intake, a waste if you already do.
Roasted chana
Sesame (til) seeds
Everyday
Sesame (til) seeds
A dense plant source of calcium, useful for anyone who does not take dairy.
HEPA air purifier
Clean air
HEPA air purifier
A genuine HEPA filter measurably reduces indoor particulates in a closed room. Ionisers and ozone generators do not.
Vitamin B12 supplement
Not optional for vegans
Vitamin B12 supplement
B12 is essentially absent from plant food. This is the one gap Indian vegetarian cooking cannot close on its own.
Psyllium husk (isabgol)
Everyday
Psyllium husk (isabgol)
Soluble fibre. Take it with plenty of water - fibre without water makes constipation worse, not better.
Water filter jug
Measuring tape
Know your numbers
Measuring tape
Waist size predicts heart risk better than weight does, particularly for South Asians.
Resistance bands set
Sleep mask and ear plugs
Sleep
Sleep mask and ear plugs
The cheap version of a dark, quiet room when you cannot have the real one.
Orthopaedic pillow