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One of the best things about the Shangri-La Diet, and what makes it so effective, is that no foods are designated as "off-limits." The Shangri-La Diet is different from almost any other diet out there and almost seems to good to be true, but yet it somehow works, almost like magic. Because the Shangri-La Diet does not limit the foods that you eat, you can actually use it in conjunction with other diet programs, such as Weight Watchers, Atkins or South Beach.

In all actuality, the Shangri-La Diet is more of a method of appetite control than it is a diet. I won't try to go in depth into the science behind the method, because I really don't even pretend to understand it myself. Basically, followers of the Shangri-La method take anywhere from 2-5 tablespoons of flavor-free extra virgin olive oil every day, which helps control their appetite. It seems counterintuitive to consume extra fat and calories when trying to lose weight, but the author, Seth Roberts has done unique studies on how consuming calories without flavor will decrease your body's set-point (the weight that your body wants to be), and in turn decrease your appetite.

The oil helps ease your appetite and even makes it easy to control late-night cravings and emotional eating. While these behaviors are often more psychological than physical, when the physical urges goes away, it becomes much easy to recognize emotional eating vs. true hunger and fight your cravings.

When you do eat, you are free to eat whatever foods you want; nothing is forbidden. Of course, the better that you eat (healthy, low in calories and fat), the faster that you will lose weight and the healthier that your body will be. The same goes for exercise; you can certainly lose weight using the Shangri-La method without exercising, but the more calories that you are burning, the faster that the weight will come off. What the Shangri-La diet helps you to do is eat less, what you choose to eat and how often you choose to exercise is completely up to you.

Finally, because Seth Robert's studies have shown that foods with familiar flavors increase your set point more dramatically, it is better to opt either for unfamiliar foods or for foods that have little flavor. For example, eating celery or carrots would increase your set-point (and therefore your appetite), much less than a cheeseburger and fries would. Conveniently, these foods also have fewer calories, which is an added bonus.

Another option is to try cooking more for yourself, where you can constantly try new spices and flavors. If your body doesn't recognize a flavor, it will not raise your set-point as significantly, even if the food isn't necessary low in fat and calories. This is exactly the opposite of most diets, that limit you to certain foods day in and day out, which is exactly why dieters become bored and give up. Even food lovers will enjoy this diet because they can continue to try out new foods and restaurants without sabotaging their diets.

Finally, another option to limit the flavors that you eat is by buying a pair of swimmer's nose plugs and eating your meals with your nasal passages plugged. It is a bit more extreme and takes most of the enjoyment out of the meal, but it can be helpful when you reach a plateau in your weight loss.

Learn more about this author, Marie Gerber.
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