Alex Jamieson, a vegan chef and Spurlock's girlfriend, knew better.

"You can't really hold it against doctors, because they're not given any nutritional training in medical school," Jamieson said. "They're taught very heroic efforts of prescription drugs and surgery and stuff like that. They're not really taught how to keep people from getting sick, just treating them once they get sick."

By the end of the 30 days, chronicled in Spurlock's Oscar-nominated documentary "Super Size Me," Spurlock's body was a mess, as Jamieson predicted.

Spurlock gained 24 pounds. His cholesterol and blood pressure levels shot up. His liver "turned into p té," one doctor told him. He had symptoms of depression and attention-deficit disorder. And, as Jamieson (now Spurlock's fiancee) reported in her most memorable moment of the film, he experienced sexual dysfunction.

When the 30 days were over, Jamieson took over. She devised a "detox diet" plan, to flush out the sugars, caffeine, fat and sodium of the all-McDonald's diet and replace them with healthy foods. Jamieson has adapted that plan into a book of health advice and recipes, The Great American Detox Diet (Rodale Press, $23.95 hardcover), in stores Wednesday.

Jamieson uses the word "detox" both because her plan is designed to flush the junk out of the body - and because it encourages people to kick food addictions much as any substance-abuse patient would kick alcohol or drugs.

"We do rely so heavily on sugars, and caffeine is a drug that we use every day," Jamieson said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "If you think about the way some people have to go in and get their Starbucks every morning, it's like a junkie going in for a fix. I know, I've been there myself." In the book, she relates her own experiences in detoxifying her body and taking up a career as a vegan chef and personal dietary consultant.

"The human body is fantastic at surviving," she said. "It can really deal with a lot of stress over time. It's amazing what we put our bodies through, and they're still able to survive. But are we really thriving? Are we healthy? I would say no."

Creating the "detox diet" for Spurlock began, Jamieson said, with analyzing the health problems caused by the fast-food diet. "He was really overfed and undernourished," she said. "He wasn't getting enough of any of the basic components of nutrition that he needed, except for way too many carbohydrates and a lot of protein. He wasn't getting the vitamins and minerals that he needed, so we really upped all the nutrient-dense foods to refuel his body."

In adapting the "detox diet" for a book, Jamieson sets out an eight-week program - each week eliminating one major contributor to ill health.

l Week 1: Drinking more water, to fight dehydration and help carry unhealthy substances out of the body.

l Week 2: Eliminating refined sugar and artificial sweeteners.

l Week 3: Cutting out caffeine.

l Week 4: Fat - less trans fat, more essential fatty acids.

l Week 5: Carbohydrates - eating whole-grain foods instead of products made with refined white flour.

l Week 6: Protein - replacing animal protein (meat and dairy) with vegetable protein (soy, lentils, nuts, etc.).

l Week 7: Eliminate unhealthy materials from the home and work environment.

l Week 8: Committing to the "detox" lifestyle.

Wayne Askew, director of the nutrition division at the University of Utah's College of Health, has not read Jamieson's book, but said it's a generally sound idea to reduce saturated fats and overly refined carbohydrates.

"There's nothing magical about what she's doing," Askew said. "It is much more healthful than what her boyfriend was on" in the movie.

Askew did question the "detox" label. "Detoxification is a bit misleading to people. They think it's like removing PCP or mercury," he said.

Jamieson acknowledges her plan is no quick fix, and won't be easy - as anyone who has suffered caffeine-withdrawal headaches can tell you. "Everybody's body is different, and you need to learn how to listen to your own body's signals," she said.

The plan's emphasis on vegetables and health-food cuisine, things not usually sold at the mall food court or in a drive-through, means people will have to relearn an old skill: cooking.

"There is time in your life to create your own food," Jamieson said. "Cooking is one of the most basic things about being a human being. And it does not have to be time-consuming or hard. It may take a little bit of practice, just like any other skill you have in your life."

But Jamieson believes people are willing to do something drastic to detoxify themselves.

"Morgan and I have received thousands of e-mails from people who [have seen] the movie, and they saw themselves in the film and they realized, 'Wow, that's me. I'm doing that to myself,' " she said. "They're astounded. For many of them, it's the first time they've made the connection between what they're eating and what they're feeling. I think people are ready for this. They're tired of being sick, they're tired of not feeling well."

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Corn and kidney bean chili

About half of The Great American Detox Diet consists of recipes featuring nutrient-dense foods. Here are two of chef Alex Jamieson's favorites:

3 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teapoons sea salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups fresh cooked kidney beans

1 can (24 ounces) plain crushed tomatoes

Cut the kernels off the cobs and set aside. Set a 4-quart pot over medium heat, and add the oil and onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, and add the corn, garlic, salt, chili powder, cumin and ground red pepper. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the beans and tomatoes to the corn and onion mixture, stir well and cover. Turn the heat to low, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Makes 5 cups.

- The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson

Easy bein' green sauté

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 head greens (kale, collard greens, chard or bok choy), washed and lightly shaken and chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons sliced olives, sliced reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes or capers (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Sauté the onion, garlic and salt for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the greens and stir well to coat the leaves with oil. Cover with the lid, reduce heat to low, and allow greens to steam for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, the greens should begin to turn bright green. Stop cooking now or, for more tender leaves, continue to cook for a few more minutes. Add olives, tomatoes or capers for extra kick.

Serve with beans or grains for a wonderful, complete meal.

Makes 4 cups.

- The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson