Man, you know what I haven’t had in a while? Capriotti’s. So guess what terrific sub was dancing in my head while I was hungry as a mofo today?

I do think that, as usual, one of the great revelations of Detox/Reboot Week will be the utter lack of necessity for so much bread in my life. It’s hard: I know that most breads I eat when I’m out, especially from places like Capriotti’s, are nutritionally useless, usually just lumps of bleached, processed flour that do little more than provide a starchy sponge to soak up the oils and juices of a sandwich or whatever.

Don’t get me wrong: I love bread and am not giving up on it completely, but every time I do one of these intensives, I cut back long-term in one way or another. The first time, I stopped eating so much fake meat product. The second time, I stopped keeping bread around, stopped having chips with sandwiches, etc. This time, I think I might try a different approach: Instead of eating out at Capriotti’s/Jimmy John’s/sandwich shop X (which totally defeats the purpose of not buying bread in the first place!), it makes more sense for me, if I’m craving a sandwich (look, it happens), to have Ezekiel or some other sprouted/flour-free/nutrient-rich bread available to make it myself.

The thing to remember is that none of this is about self-denial. It’s about having as much awareness of every ingredient going into the machine as possible. But, on the flip side, it’s also  about moderation. I’ve driven myself nuts about being strict in my food and beverage choices. And I’ve found when I loosen up the restrictions and relax a bit, I’m less likely to go overboard, and have been much happier. Being very mindful of what I consume 75 percent of the time means that the other 25 percent of the time I can enjoy myself without fretting over a breadstick.

Of course, we’re not at the finish line yet, but will be in about 24 hours, after which I’ll be easing back slowly into a more balanced (but improved!) routine. And I really can’t wait until I can run again, though given the heat now, it’ll have to be at 4 a.m. just to stay cool!

Here’s Thursday’s menu, for those playing along at home:

• Breakfast: 1 banana + 1 cup Dynamo juice blend
• Morning snack: 1 Pure bar
• Lunch: Salad (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers) with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette
• Afternoon snack: Celery and organic peanut butter
• Throughout day: A handful of raw sunflower nut meats
• Dinner: One can organic split pea soup
• Evening snack: Few sips of strawberry smoothie
• Beverages: Aside from the above-listed juice, water all day, plus a few swigs of Trader Joe’s Green Protein juice.

Tomorrow: Eating out (but staying on course)!