We are facing an increasing problem in our country.  People are not taking care of their bodies and as a result more people are suffering from the physical consequences.  One such thing that we are becoming particularly susceptible to is bone loss. Often times people forget that teeth are part of the bone that becomes effected.  Not only is a poor diet to blame for bone loss, but the deficiency in calcium and other vital nutrients is weakening your teeth as well. 

Many people are aware of some of the things that they can do to prevent bone loss but instead, for whatever reason, choose not to.  Tips to preventing bone loss are listed a little later in this article.  Perhaps instead of starting up new good habits, we should focus on breaking old bad habits.  There are foods and activities that reduce the calcium in our bones and the bone density itself.  Some of the things we should stop doing in order to prevent bone loss are:
    Stop drinking excessive amounts of caffeine-containing drinks (more than six drinks per day).  Caffeinated drinks include coffee, cola, many energy drinks and tea.
    Stop consuming excessive amounts of alcohol
    Watch your body weight.  Those with very low body weight are more susceptible to bone loss.
    Always in moderation.  Do not eat so much of a good thing that it become a bad thing.  For example very high intakes of fiber (more than 50g per day, from wheat bran) can attribute to bone loss.
    Stop being a couch potato.  Low levels of physical activity will compromise bone strength.
    Don't be overly paranoid about sun exposure.  Yes, you should still make sure to wear a hat and sun block if you are going to the beach. But did you know that your body needs a certain level of Vitamin D that is absorbed by the body through sunlight?  Low levels of vitamin D are commonly an issue for people who are housebound or for people who cover their bodies completely when they are outside.
After you have read what not to do, of course you are curious about what things that you can do to prevent bone loss.  A great deal of what you should do to prevent bone loss is related to your diet.  Below is a list of recommended foods and quantities needed to prevent bone loss.

Milk and milk products
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and buttermilk are huge sources of calcium. One cup of milk, a 200g tub of yoghurt or 200ml of calcium fortified soymilk provides around 300mg calcium. Calcium fortified milks can provide larger amounts of calcium in a smaller volume of milk for those who may not be enthusiastic milk drinkers.

Leafy green vegetables
Broccoli, collards, bok choy, Chinese cabbage and spinach are reccommended. One cup of cooked spinach contains 100mg, although only five per cent of this may be absorbed. By contrast, one cup of cooked broccoli contains about 45mg of calcium.  In addition, the absorption from broccoli is much higher than its leafier counterparts.

Soy and tofu
Tofu (depending on type) or tempeh and calcium fortified soy drinks are great options.

Fish
Sardines and salmon have more calcium than you may think.  Half a cup of canned salmon contains 402mg of calcium!

Nuts and seeds
Brazil nuts, almonds and sesame seed paste have good amounts of calcium in fact, fifteen almonds contain about 40mg of calcium.

Other calcium fortified foods
Breakfast cereals, fruit juices and bread as well as calcium supplements are more options to get you the calcium that you need to maintain adequate bone health.  Supplements are not as good as getting the calcium you need from foods, but for those who cannot stomach certain calcium rich foods or who would otherwise not get the calcium they need, supplements are a good option.