I regularly fast every 7-10 days - no food from sun up to sun down. I do still drink my coffee (always black) to avoid caffeine headaches but otherwise drink only water and lots of it during the fast. While I promise myself any meal I want to break the fast, I usually end the day with something simple like fruit, cheese, and bread.

I'm not sure how this ritual arose in my life or why, but I have been observing it fairly closely for over a decade. If nothing else, the act of ritual can hold it's own importance whether or not it points beyond anything other than itself.