Del Hall, director of sales at Fifty West Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohio, has lost 20 kg (44 lbs) on his 45 days diet only on beer. He made headlines at the beginning of Lent when he announced he was giving up everything for a fast – except for beer as his only calorie intake.
Now, at the end of Lent on Easter Sunday he said, he lost 20 kg and needs less sleep, his mind is clear and he feels like there’s no inflammation in his body. “I feel like I'm in my 20s,” said the 43-year-old Army veteran.
Hall was inspired by German monks of the 17th century. Because the monks were only allowed to consume liquid food during Lent, the master brewers decided to brew a beer in such a way that it became particularly savory. The resulting double bock beer was nutritious but also very strong with seven to ten percent alcohol. The monks fed on this 'liquid bread' throughout Lent. Hall himself is not a Christian, but "I have looked at various religious groups and found that all of them know forms of fasting or Lent," he says.
His job at a brewery puts him in a unique position to be able to do the fast but he would not encourage others to try what he did.
Doctors also advise against such a diet. The drastic weight loss in such a low-protein diet is probably due to a decrease in muscle mass. Especially the combination of a one-sided nutrition with the less curative effects of alcohol can lead to liver and kidney damage over a longer period.
