Dasha Astafieva was Playboy's 55th Anniversary Playmate and she is a Spokeswoman for AnastasiaDate.com.

I learned the true meaning of beauty this week from my phone conversation with Dasha Astafieva, who was Playboy's 55th Anniversary Playmate and the Playmate of the Month for January 2009. Astafieva, a Ukrainian who was born from humble beginnings, has achieved success as a model, a singer for the Ukrainian pop group NikitA, and as a Spokeswoman for AnastasiaDate.com,* the world's largest international online dating community with approximately 80 million members. The driving force behind her success goes beyond her outward appearance. Her beauty runs deeper -- it is within the depths of her soul.

Astafieva's inner beauty is expressed through her healthy outlook on life. Her goal is happiness for all. "As a little girl I dreamed to be happy and to see people be happy around me," she explained. She wants to make a difference in the lives of others and to make the world a better place. Here is what she had to say during our interview:

Simply Fit: Who has inspired you to become successful?
Astafieva: "I admire people with history. Hugh Hefner is interesting, kind, a gentleman and he is very talented. He has dreams for the world. He is a great example. [He taught me] that I need to be more free and to dream like him.....Marilyn Monroe had imagination. She is an idol. She was womanly, very kind and talented. And, [she was] so beautiful -- not like candy, only on the outside -- she had a beautiful soul."

Simply Fit: How has becoming a Playboy Playmate changed you?
Astafieva: "Years ago, I was like a child. I always was a bit scared with my dreams. When I met Hef, he tried to make me more sure with myself. He helped me to stay more womanly and to be more self-confident. [Being a Playboy Playmate has helped me to] be more useful and to do something good for people around me. I don't want to be just a beautiful woman, I want to be useful."

Simply Fit: Why were you interested in becoming involved with AnastasiaDate.com?
Astafieva: "I have always felt that I am a real woman with a real life. I am not just a popular girl. I have a real life behind the stage and dream to find a man to my heart and soul. I travel a lot and I don't have a lot of time. AnastasiaDate.com is a very good chance [for me] to try to communicate with gentlemen and great men who are trying to find a woman."

Simply Fit: As a model and singer, you have to keep your body in great shape. What are your secrets and tips for keeping your figure?
Astafieva: "I eat healthy, do not smoke, do not drink, and try to sleep in healthy [amounts of] time..... My favorite exercise is Yoga.....In my free time I try to do Yoga. It is not only for your body, it is exercise for your soul and mind. I start with Yoga everyday with my teacher. He is a very smart man and a great example and a strong teacher.....I try to be happy and to be happy with work hobbies. I try to speak with interesting persons to try to learn good information."

Yoga, Astafieva's favorite exercise, is exercise for the mind, body and soul.

Simply Fit: How do you manage to keep balance in your life when you have so many demands placed on you?
Astafieva: Yoga helps me to concentrate. It is good for me because I travel a lot and it can be done anywhere and whenever. It can be done in the morning or in the evening."

Yoga helps Astafieva to concentrate.

Simply Fit: What advice do you have for other women who want to be successful like you?
Astafieva: "Run like me! Run with soul and heart! Be more natural and remember where you were born and who your parents are. It is not about yourself, but about others around you. Live for friends and people around you. Every woman needs to know they are born to be beautiful, brilliant, and shining to make people around them more happy."

*About AnastasiaDate.com: Anastasia International is the world's largest international dating service with portals for Russia and the CIS, Asia, South America and Africa, and has helped thousands of men from the U.S., Canada and Western Europe find the women of their dreams.

Reference:
Phone Interview: December 7, 2011; Dasha Astafieva; Kiev, Ukraine.