Hi Mark, This strict fast is not new. The Pastor and many people from the Parish I do it at - (not my own - I have to drive 30 minutes to participate) have been doing it for over 25 years. There are two purposes to the 7 day strict fast - to clean/purify the body and the soul. I myself never ever thought I would be able to do such a strict fast. It involves a lot of discipline (thank God I was able to give up smoking cigarettes and pot immediately (cold turkey so to say) and three full days before and after the 7 day fast, you cannot drink coffee and must drink 3 liters of non-carbonated water per day. The daily menu for the three days prior and after the 7 day fast is: breakfast: one small natural yoghurt (no fruit or anything else in it), two Wasa (crisp) crackers (nothing on it), lunch: either potato vegetable soup without salt or seasonings or fresh tomato soup (only thyme and parsley, dinner: same as breakfast but you can put a piece of low fast cheese on the crackers. TBC