I thought I was having a bad day until a friend of mine called to say that the cat had messed in her bed. A working mummy, with dad away on business, she was hoping to turn in for an early night. Instead, after shushing her babe off to sleep, she found that the cat had christened her brand new tempur-pedic mattress and duvet. Not the tranquil end-of-day she had been hoping for.

It's seems that pets and kids have a spectacular sense of timing. I still remember cleaning up projectile vomit the same day that I installed Chloe's new car seat. I also remember the conundrum of trying to get the cover back on afterwards. NOT easy. Jasper the dog has excelled himself too on more than one occasion, but memorably by rolling over a dead toad and in poop right before friends arrived for dinner. This was especially annoying because I had argued with the lovely husband just minutes before, saying that of course we had time to walk him. What harm could five minutes up the road do? A whole world of dead-toad-and-poop harm, that's what.

So these days I'm all about prevention and though optimistic by nature, I do like to plan for worst-case scenarios. Although I have fallen short of covering the car or Jasper in cling wrap, I do travel with an impressive supply of towels and baby wipes.

When it comes to health, I'm a fan of preventive strategies too. Whilst the pharmaceutical industry would love us think there really was a pill for every ill, medication often only provides a band aid effect and hardly gets to the root of the problem. Medications also often have negative side-effects to (you know, headaches, nausea, death…..) and even surgeries can sometimes only offer short-term solutions. For example, according to Steven Aldana, writing for the Wellness Councils of America, after four to six months, 30 to 50 percent of ballooned arteries can reclose, and 20 30 percent of arteries propped open with stents reclose.

But when it comes to preventive strategies, we hear an awful lot about cancer, heart health and diabetes, but how much do we hear about Osteoporosis? In fact, taking proactive steps to nurture bone health is important and effective too. What's more, it's something that we should take an interest in from an early age, as the higher your bone density at age 25, the lower the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Further, good bone density at 50 results in a negligible risk of hip fracture, whereas osteoporosis at age 50 results in a 50 percent chance of hip fracture.

Check out the risk factors for osteoporosis below to size up if this is something you or your kids need to focus on:

1. Family history: If your mother, father or even your grandparents had osteoporosis, you have a higher risk of developing the disease. Research shows that genes regulating bone density influence peak bone mass and the rate of bone loss.

2. Ethnicity: Osteoporosis is common among Asian and Caucasian women and rare in African women. Afro-Caribbean women have higher levels of oestrogen, which enhances their resistance to this disease, but doesn't render them immune, so other risk factors need to be considered too.

3. Anorexia or Bulimia: These illnesses cause metabolic changes that seem to prevent bones from being built up efficiently. Restricted food intake can also lead to calcium, magnesium and zinc deficiency all of which are vital for bone health.

4. Being underweight: Especially during the menopause. Fat cells actually produce a weaker form of oestrogen called oestrone. If body fat falls, you may not have sufficient oestrogen to protect against bone loss.

5. Irregular or missed periods: If you have had irregular periods or missed periods for several months outside of pregnancy, then you will have lost some of the protective effects of oestrogen. A recent study showed that women who had an irregular cycle prior to age 40, have an average bone loss of more than eight percent compared to those with a regular cycle.

6. You smoke, or used to smoke: Smoking reduces bone density by up to 25 percent. It has also been known to trigger early menopause, so reduces the level of oestrogen available to protect your bones.

7. Certain medications: Regular use of certain medications, such as steroids, laxatives/diuretics, thyroid medications and heparin, can cause osteoporosis. Make sure you follow the bone-friendly diet and lifestyle plan to maximise your protection and never stop taking medication without discussing this with your GP first.

8. Low exercise: It's simple weight bearing exercise makes bones stronger due to the force that gravity places on your bones. This is the reason why astronauts can lose bone density in space. The logic of nature backfires here the body does not see the need to maintain bone density in a gravity free environment, as the body does not need to support itself.

9. Too much exercise: Believe it or not, there is a happy medium! Too much exercise can interfere with hormone balance and can bring body fat down too low. When this occurs, oestrogen levels fall, leading to insufficient protection from bone loss.

10. Sudden, or early menopause: Sudden menopause (brought on by radiotherapy or surgical removal of the ovaries) is often mirrored by a sudden drop in oestrogen and can result in rapid bone loss. Early menopause means that you are without the protective effects of oestrogen for a longer period of time, raising the likelihood of bone loss.

11. Digestive problems: Digestive problems such as low stomach acid, irritable bowel and Celiac disease can all lead to an insufficient absorption of bone friendly nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.

Such a large number of possible risk factors can be daunting, but instead let's look at it this way - there is also a huge amount you can do to proactively address, and often rectify, osteoporosis risk factors. If you are concerned about your bone health, or simply want to take preventative measures, follow the bone-friendly diet and lifestyle plan outlined below.

Bone-friendly Do's

¦ Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. These are full of antioxidant and alkaline properties, which help to maintain bone mineral density

¦ Use Cider Vinegar. Cider vinegar aids calcium absorption. Use in cooking or for salad dressings.

¦ Include phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogen foods such as whole soy products, chickpeas, lentils and beans, are rich in natural isoflavones. Recent research (based on Japanese women with a high soya diet) indicates that the natural isoflavones improve bone density.

¦ Eat foods rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin K, folic acid, boron, zinc and friendly bacteria. All these are important for good collagen levels and bone density.

Sources include:

Calcium low fat dairy in moderation, sesame seeds, almonds, brazils, hazelnuts, salmon, soya and all green vegetables (except spinach).

Magnesium green veggies (except spinach), wholegrains and unroasted nuts and seeds.

Vitamin C peppers, cauliflower, berries, citrus fruit

Vitamin D eggs, sardines, mackerel

Vitamin K cabbage, alfalfa sprouts

Folic acid all vegetables

Boron cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, fruit, nuts, peas and beans

Zinc wholegrains, pumpkin seeds, fish, eggs, peas and beans

Friendly bacteria live organic yoghurt or a good quality acidophilus supplement

¦ Exercise and relaxation. Aim to exercise three to five times a week, including some weight bearing exercises. Exercise and relaxation can be combined by doing Yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates classes.

¦ Supplement safely. If you need to take extra care of your bones and would like to supplement, do so safely and ask your GP to approve your choices especially if you are on medication or have an existing health concern. A comprehensive programme would include a good quality multi vitamin and mineral (e.g. Life Extension, Solgar or Twinlab), B complex (50mg of each B vitamin, including what's in your multi), 1000mg vitamin C, zinc (15mg including the amount in your multi) and a combined magnesium and calcium citrate supplement.

Bone-friendly Don'ts

n Smoking

¦ Non-organic fizzy drinks. These contain phosphorous. If phosphorous levels in your blood rise too high, calcium may be drawn out from your bones to rectify the balance. This is a particular concern to young people who often drink a lot of fizzy drinks remember peak bone mass is achieved by 25 years old!

¦ Excess animal protein. Too much animal protein, including dairy foods, can cause the body to become very acidic. As with excess phosphorous, this acidity is neutralised by drawing calcium out of your bones and teeth. Make sure you incorporate vegetarian sources of protein in place of some of your animal protein such as tofu, beans, hummus, nuts, seeds and lentils.

¦ Caffeine, sugar and alcohol. There's no need to ban these completely! However, do bear in mind that all these have a similar effect on the body as excess protein. Too much can lead to an overly acidic body, resulting in calcium loss from the bones and teeth. Also, those of you have ever "over-indulged" may have noticed that alcohol is a diuretic! Diuretics cause the loss of important bone minerals.

¦ Salt. A high sodium intake can trigger calcium loss through urine. Processed foods, chips and pork products are often especially high in salt.

¦ Processed Bran. This contains phytates that actually bind to valuable bone building minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. Once bound, these minerals are removed from the digestive tract without being absorbed. Go for wholegrain products, rather than adding bran yourself.

¦ Spinach and rhubarb. These do contain antioxidants so are beneficial for many people. However they are best avoided by those with a high risk of osteoporosis as they contain high levels of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid reacts with calcium and prevents it from being absorbed.

¦ The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted at clinicalnutrition@gmail.com