Thank you to June Brown, alias Dot Cotton, and to Virginia Ironside (How I learned that 75 is the best age to start doing drugs, 18 April) for their reflections on living well in old age, a sentiment I heartily endorse.
But as I embark on my eighth decade, I shall abjure my one-time overconsumption and continue to eat homemade muesli and a largely Mediterranean diet of fish, fruit and vegetables. I do not delude myself that this may have a bearing on longevity. It is just that it enables me to leap (metaphorically) from the table to make the most of the beautiful landscape that surrounds me and to read the Guardian with a clear head.
As for the wonderful wines produced in neighbouring villages, I enjoy these, too. However, it is worth noting that the first few sips are indubitably the best.
Joan Lewis
St-Étienne-de-Gourgas, France
• You’re wrong, Virginia! The whole point of a healthy diet and exercise is to keep you out of a geriatric home and prevent the loss of your marbles. Doing the Guardian crosswords every day helps as well. At 81, I’m not giving up yet.
Val Spouge
Braintree, Essex
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition
