Can the body heal itself? #1 in a new series: High blood pressure/cholesterol (please see inside)

I am intrigued by the amazing capacity of the body to heal itself and reverse and recover from certain conditions, without drugs or surgery. I would like to start a new series of questions, each focusing on a different ailment or condition. The start of a new year seems like a good time to kick things off. So let’s first take a look at high blood pressure/high cholesterol: have you been able to bring down your high BP/cholesterol numbers without prescription drugs or surgery? That is, you did it through only diet, exercise, rest & relaxation, tai chi, yoga, vacation, environmental changes (move to a drier climate, change of scenery), physical therapy, non-prescription drugs, vitamins, minerals, herbs, probiotics, massage therapy, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, light/laser therapy, Feldenkrais, meditation, more social interaction, saunas, Jacuzzi, mud baths, what have you… (OTC drugs like aspirin are OK.) (Some of things on this list may not apply in this case, but they’re listed here so we don’t forget them when we discuss other diseases/conditions later.)

What prompted this question was that many years ago, a co-worker of mine tested high for blood pressure and cholesterol. His wife was so shocked that she put him on a very strict diet. This diet was nothing unusual, just the ordinary stuff we constantly hear about: lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains, cut down on red meat, as well as the sugar, salt, calories, etc. He must have lost something on the order of 30–35 lbs. And he brought his numbers WAY down. I asked him if he did anything else, like exercise. He said nope, just diet alone. Now, I realize that this was just one case and not everybody is alike, so I’d like to know if anyone else (or anyone you know) has been successful at this and how did you do it?