Dear Max,
You really are feeling at the Cross Roads,don't worry you really have a long way to go..The Blood Pressure pills are bad news,but having tried the natural alternatives I found only a marginal improvement,while the pills control it...A few tips on longevity..I detoxify lean meat overnight in rough wine or beer before eating....I also eat a little liver every week and a couple of tins of sardines ...Never ever eat burned meat...You have a back yard so plant a few Collards,they crop for two years in our Mediterranean Climate,just give them a ruthless haircut whenever they go to seed or become moth eaten,pluck and eat the leaves in salads or sandwiches,six plants will be enough....If you have problems with the water works,bladder or prostrate, every second day chop up and boil a head of Broccali in a cup of water for five minutes,drink the juice and eat.
You have a lower back problem (Who hasn't) cut out the sit ups...Jophil well remembered on this site introduced me to Gelatin,he booked in for major surgery on a ruptured disc,started downing a desert spoon of Gelatin every day and never needed to go to hospital.