By Pat Mooney
For Coastal Senior

Three days ago the good people who developed the operating system for my computer sent a message to me saying I could "download an upgrade" to the operating system at no cost. They gave me the option of downloading (getting the new program) now or later. After chuckling at the idea of "downloading an upgrade" -directions just aren't what they used to be - I clicked the necessary buttons and in a few minutes I was computing with the "new and improved" version of the software that makes the little gray box do its magic.

It still works like the old system but it has some new bells and whistles that allow me to have more control of the machine. It gives me little notices when it's going to do something wacky instead of just doing it and leaving me scratching my head and muttering.

Though it might be nice to "download an upgrade" to our lives with a few clicks of the mouse, it's not that simple. It takes a bit more effort but the effort itself is part of the upgrade. Say we might like to be a bit slimmer and healthier. We know proper diet and regular exercise will bring us to this state but the diet and exercise aren't just a means to an end. They upgrade the quality of our lives as we are doing them.

Let's look at a few personal upgrades that are available for downloading in the New Year.

Consider "downloading an upgrade" to the solution finding program for 2005. When my computer messes up it's either doing something that it shouldn't be doing, it's not doing something that it should be doing, or it's doing something but it's doing it the wrong way. Frequently in our lives, we can apply the same simple analysis to discover solutions to sometimes complex problems. Are we not doing something we should be doing, or doing something we shouldn't, or are we doing something but in a wrong way?

If this doesn't help, you may just want to "do something different." Sometimes this will have a ripple effect and result in moving toward a solution or at least giving you a different perspective from which to view the problem.

"Download an upgrade" to your brain itself. You can do this by learning new things and engaging in activities that stimulate your brain. Research shows that people who engage in mentally stimulating activities keep their mental abilities sharper for longer than people who don't. Learn new tasks, travel to new places, go a different way to old places, play intellectually challenging games, read books that stretch your imagination or add to your knowledge, develop or rekindle a hobby, be socially active, and so on. By using our brains, we play an active role in preserving our ability to think and feel. Use it or lose it applies to our brains as well as other bodily functions.

For most of us, the diet and exercise program upgrade for our bodies is pretty simple. Eat a balanced diet, don't eat more calories than you burn and a multivitamin may be helpful as we get older. As we age our metabolism tends to slow down so a little weight gain is normal. Some people may be taking medication or have a specific nutritional or metabolic disorder that make them exceptions to this simple rule and they should consult with their doctors about their nutritional and exercise needs.

An "upgrade" the you don't want to "download" is a fad diet. The pineapple diet, the cabbage diet, the grapefruit diet, the low-carb diet, the Bowery Bum diet all come and go and the bottom line is the same. Over time, they don't work.

Severe calorie restriction makes our bodies think we're starving. When we resume normal eating, our body wisely responds by saying, "I think I'll save this calorie as fat because if the famine strikes again I can live off this fat calorie." Voila, we regain the lost weight and add more as a hedge against starvation. It's a yo-yo and ends up with dieters actually gaining more weight in the long run.

Fad diets cause a different problem. Our bodies respond to an unbalanced diet by developing nutrient deficiency related diseases that may be serious. Often there are emotional and psychological components too.

Before "downloading an upgrade" for the 2005 exercise program, check with a physician. Then start gradually and steadily increase the amount of exercise that you get. Walking, swimming, cycling and playing active games are all pleasurable ways to increase the calorie expenditure each day. Make sure you have equipment that works and be safe. (Bicycle with the flow of traffic and wear a helmet, walk facing traffic, wear proper clothing, and so on.)

The social program for 2005 may need an upgrade and the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child," is true for children of all ages. Few of us can function well in the absence of community yet we may isolate ourselves in times of stress. Not only do we need the support of a community but we also need to be contributing members of a community in order to feel worthwhile. Often, seniors who defined their worth by their work feel worthless when they retire or when the kids leave home. The upgraded program for this is to maintain active involvement in the community throughout life, whether it is faith, social, civic communities or the community of the family.

The wise reader may observe that upgrading one part of the program will tend to improve the rest and you would be right. All elements of our existence are intertwined and people very frequently notice that an improvement in one area leads to improvements in other areas too. So, pick the one that's easiest, or most central to the way you want your life to be and go for it.

Happy New Year!

Pat Mooney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Savannah. You can email him with suggestions for future colimnsat patmooneylcsw@bellsouth.net