No one needs to live a life of pain. The belief that weakened bones, arthritis, rheumatism are inevitable. The older you get is untrue. Go to the far corners of the world and you see people in their 80s and 90s working the fields beside their grandsons and granddaughters.

Little is said in the media about the need to change the diet and even more important, the lifestyle. The focus is placed on age alone as the leading cause of many diseases. Osteoporosis afflicts an estimated 10 million Americans over the age of 50. 33 million of them are women. Some 1.2 million bone fractures occur every year and 300,000 of them are hip fractures.

Preventing osteoporosis isn't just a matter of the lack of calcium which is thought to be the main cause for weak bones. Calcium supplements are a booming business, but calcium alone isn't enough to prevent weakening bones. In fact, many women have enough calcium, but the calcium is seldom absorbed and doesn't go to the bones to strengthen them. Drugs propose to make the bones stronger and in some cases they do, but only on the outside layer. The interior structure is weak and porous and still leads to fractures.

Calcium is certainly important. But the sunshine vitamin is crucial to help for better absorption of calcium in the body. Exposure to the sun leads to production of vitamin D. Twenty minutes of sun exposure every day can help increase bone strength.

But with the hype of skin cancer, many are staying out of the sun or using sunscreen to avoid the cancer that comes from the chemicals in the sunscreen. The incidents of skin cancer are highest in Northern climates and affect more office workers and shut-ins than lifeguards or construction workers. Vitamin D has been shown to fight many cancers, including melanoma. The lack of vitamin D increases the risk of decreased bone health.

Besides the lack of vitamin D for bone heath, there's the lack of exercise so frequent among many of the elderly. Exercise in any form helps improve circulation and leads to increased mobility, flexibility and bone health. Like getting enough sun, most people live a sedentary life that guarantees that bones will weaken with age.

The body is healthiest if its PH balance is alkaline. Unfortunately, today's diet is largely acidic and an acid PH leads to many of the diseases that thrive under acidic conditions. Cutting out the refined breads, pastas, cakes and other processed foods can restore a natural balance and prevent osteoporosis.

Dairy products are touted as good sources of calcium, but calcium can be found in vegetables like kale and broccoli. White beans, salmon and sardines eaten with the bones contain a good deal of usable calcium. Shellfish such as shrimp are good source of calcium. Egg yokes and shiitake mushrooms contain calcium.

While vitamin D can help the body better absorb calcium, magnesium is another mineral that helps support the hormone that instructs the body to move calcium into the bones. Unfortunately, magnesium is severely lacking in many diets today.

If your diet includes calcium, enough vitamin D and good levels of magnesium, you are not likely to experience the debilitating effects of osteoporosis that so many do today.