Ohio man forgoes food for 46-day Lent 'beer diet'

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- An Ohio man is marking the Christian tradition of Lent by giving up solid foods for 46 days and getting the majority of his sustenance from beer.

Del Hall of Cincinnati said his Lent diet includes only beer, water, black coffee and herbal tea, and as of his Friday morning weigh-in -- day 3 of his diet -- he was down 5.8 pounds.

"I only have three to five beers a day," Hall told WXIX-TV. "It's not like I'm drinking constantly. If you eat your standard diet, it gets boring. You don't eat the same thing every day. So, I am definitely not going to drink the same thing every day."

Hall said he successfully completed Lent beer diets in 2019 and 2020, each time noticing health benefits of the experience. He said he lost 40-50 pounds both years and noticed his blood pressure and cholesterol improved.

"The human body is an amazing thing," Hall said. "We're used to going through as hunter-gatherers, feast and famine. The problem is we don't go through the famine anymore."

Hall is raising money through a crowdfunding initiative dubbed "Sgt. Del's Virtual Tip Jar." He said the money will go toward local bars and restaurants that have suffered loses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.