High blood pressure is a part of aging and even the fittest, healthiest and most relaxed people in the world can develop it. The American Heart Association DASH diet (low salt, low fat, lots of vegetables whole grains and legumes) has been proven to lower cholesterol as has weight loss in general. Exercise is great - 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity (sweat a little, puff a little but still able to carry on a conversation). Walking, cycling, basketball, swimming are all good options - whatever you do, it should be enjoyable. A glass of wine a day will also decrease your blood pressure, but any more than that may raise it. Obviously quitting smoking (if you do is a must). Coffee on the other hand has not been shown to raise blood pressure. Stress is very hard to quantify. But being relaxed usually makes us happy so its worth aiming for this!! Dieticians and family ohysicians are experts in helping people change their lifestyle. If all this doesn t work within around 6-12 months, you may be wise to consider blood pressure medication.