When Victor Sanchez’s doctor told him to revamp his diet after a potentially life-threatening diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver, he worked hard to change his lifestyle, getting up early to walk the dog every day and eating healthier.
“They told me what I should and shouldn’t be eating,” said Sanchez. But what they didn’t tell him was how to afford the new diet.
For Sanchez, the biggest hurdle turned out to be financial: The disease had put the Hayward resident on permanent disability at age 56, with a new mandate of fresh leafy greens, whole grains and lean proteins.
In the eight years since the diagnosis, Sanchez, now 64, has struggled to keep weight off even though he has tried to add more salads to his diet and swapped big egg-and-bacon breakfasts for bowls of unsweetened oatmeal. In January, he was screened as being at risk for prediabetes. He has high blood sugar levels that could lead to type-2 diabetes, a disease that is usually diet-related and develops when the body doesn’t properly use insulin.
The Bay Area’s hidden hungry often have to contend with chronic health problems related to their inability to afford a nutritious diet. In the last decade, awareness of this link between food access and health has spurred more doctors, insurance providers and community organizations to try to find ways to get free healthy groceries in the hands of those who need them most.