Roberts went further and hypothesized that this
metabolic pattern is accompanied by an association
that the brain makes between food flavor and calorie
intake. When Stone Age people ate something they
found tasty (during a period of abundance) and familiar
(which meant that they had found by experience that the
food nourished their bodies), their bodies demanded
that they eat as much of the tasty food as possible in
order to store the extra calories as fat. The problem with
modern life in the developed countries is that the con-
stant availability of affordable good-tasting food leads
to rampant overeating that is no longer necessary as a
protection against hard times, and that food advertising
as well as food availability conditions people to associ-
ate food flavor with calorie consumption.
DescriptionThe Shangri-la diet in its present form requires the
dieter to take either a small quantity of sugar water or
a bland oil (extra-light olive oil, canola oil, or highly
refined walnut oil) twice or three times a day, at least
an hour before or an hour after consuming anything
with flavor (including toothpaste or mouthwash).
Roberts recommends 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil per
day, which comes to 120 to 240 calories. The sugar
mixture that Roberts used while losing weight was
about 6 tablespoons of fructose (about 275 calories)
diluted in a quart of water. According to Roberts, the
oil or sugar water gives the dieter some calories in a
nutrient-dense substance without flavor, thus break-
ing the learned association between flavor and calo-
ries. In effect, breaking this learned association tricks
the body into lowering its set point, suppressing appe-
tite, and leading to weight loss without hungercrav-
ings. Roberts suggests taking the doses of oil or sugar
water first thing in the morning and just before bed-
time, but says that dieters should feel free to experi-
ment and take their doses at other times that may work
better for them.
The dieter need not make any other changes in the
types of food they prefer. Roberts does, however,
suggest ways in which people using the Shangri-la
diet can lower their set point even further:
Avoid food commercials, cooking shows on televi-
sion, and other visual stimuli related to feed. Seeing
images of food is thought to increase the appetite.
Choose foods with a low glycemic index (GI). The
glycemic index is a measurement system that evalu-
ates the carbohydrates in specific foods for their
effect on the body’s blood sugar level within two
hours after a meal. Foods with a low GI index are
thought to satisfy hunger longer because they do not
increase blood sugar levels as rapidly as foods with a
high GI index.
Eat very bland foods other than the doses of oil (sushi,
boiled rice, egg whites, etc.) to help break the associ-
ation between flavor and calorie intake.
Practice ‘‘crazy spicing,’’ which is Roberts’s term for
adding 10 to 20 spices chosen at random to one’s
food so that the original flavor is unrecognizable. As
Roberts says, ‘‘No flavor recognition = no set point
increase = lower set point = weight loss.’’
As of 2007, Roberts maintains that he has kept his
weight at about 150 pounds by eating one 900-calorie
meal per day, 150 calories of fruit sugar dissolved in
water, and 2 pieces of fresh fruit (about 75 calories each).FunctionThe function of the Shangri-la diet is to induce
and maintain weight loss through an approach
intended to reset the dieter’s set point and improve
control of appetite, rather than by eliminating specific
food categories or restricting portion size.BenefitsThere is anecdotal evidence that the Shangri-la
diet helps some people lose significant amounts of
weight and maintain weight loss. Roberts, who claims
to have lost 40 pounds on his diet and kept it off,
maintains a website with a forum where people can
post success stories.
Some specific benefits mentioned by people who
have tried the Shangri-la diet:
They can still have their favorite foods if they wish.
The diet is easy to use because it doesn’t require
weighing and measuring foods or special cooking
techniques.
It can be readily combined with cooking for a family,
eating out, or other activities that are often problem-
atic for dieters; as one person remarked, ‘‘No one
knows you’re doing it.’’
The oil or sugar water is inexpensive, making the
Shangri-la diet one of the least stressful weight reduc-
tion regimens in terms of financial investment. An
attorney who has successfully lost weight on the diet
comments, ‘‘ It is the cheapest diet I’ve ever been on.
Five dollars worth of extra light (not extra virgin) olive
oil from Costco or Sam’s Club lasts you six months.
I’ve probably eaten less than half the food I would
have otherwise eaten in that time. Even if I bought a
copy of the book every week... I would still come out
aheadonwhatIspendonfood.’’Shangri-la diet