Self dubbed, the "eat-anything-you-want diet," the Shangri-La Diet promises to help you conquer hunger and cravings and lose weight without ever feeling deprived. The creator of the diet is UCLA at Berkley psychology professor Seth Roberts. Roberts believes that the key to permanent weight loss is to conquer hunger, rather than relying on willpower to say no to the foods you love.
Set-Point Weight
Roberts believes that everybody has a set point weight. This is the weight that your body wants to maintain and is dictated by a number of factors, including genetics. When you're below your set point, you're hungry, if you're above it you're full. However, Roberts believes that the better tasting your food is, the higher your set point will be. By choosing to eat bland foods, you'll lower your set point naturally and increase your weight loss, according to Roberts.
Theory Behind the Diet
You change your set point through three changes in your diet. You must consume the majority of your calories from foods that have little taste. You must try new foods regularly. You must also concentrate on foods low on the glycemic index. This means eating foods that convert into sugar slowly, such as brown rice and whole wheat bread instead of white rice and white bread. Roberts believes that new foods are not processed the same way as your usual foods because your body doesn't recognize the taste and as a result doesn't absorb the calories completely. Avoid highly-processed foods, and instead concentrate on natural foods without any added flavorings, the author suggests.
How the Diet Works
Roberts believes that the ultimate "bland foods" are oil and water. As a result, he recommends drinking 1 to 3 tbsp. of canola, flaxseed or walnut oil every day. Simply split that amount throughout the day, preferably 1 hour before or after your meals. In his book, "The Shangri-La Diet: No Hunger, Eat Anything, Weight-Loss Plan," Roberts suggests mixing 1 tbsp. of sugar into an 8 oz. glass of water to sip throughout the day. This mild "sweet water" is tasteless enough to numb your hunger as well, he says.
Pros and Cons
One of the major criticisms of the diet is that is too low in calories. While you'll be getting a few hundred calories from oil, the goal of the diet is to eventually control how much you eat. If the diet works, you might end up cutting down on calories drastically and losing out on important nutrients along the way. On the other hand, the Shangri-La Diet is inexpensive, safe and environmentally-friendly, according to University of Toronto's nutritionist and professor, David Jenkins, M.D. He also says that the diet might be "too good to be true" and might not work for everybody.
References
- "The Shangri-La Diet: No Hunger, Eat Anything, Weight-Loss Plan"; Seth Roberts; C. P. Putnam Son's; 2006
- The Diet Channel: Interview with Author Dr. Seth Roberts
- CBC News: The Shangri-La Diet
Member Comments