Diet Detective: Tell us how you got to where you are now.

Beth: Lots of hard work and introspection. Yoga and exercise have also helped significantly.

Diet Detective: Define and discuss failure.

Beth: Failure is letting life go by without taking action, not being honest with yourself and others, not following your heart. Failure is not making the most of each day and not going after your dreams.

Diet Detective: Was there a defining moment in your life when you made a decision that changed the course of the rest of your life forever?

Beth: Moving to California from NYC in 1989.

Diet Detective: What’s the most bodacious chance you’ve ever taken?

Beth: Starting YogaFit and leaving my cushy corporate job.

Diet Detective: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself?

Beth: To know my strengths and weaknesses, to think before I act, and to keep my mouth shut and not burn bridges.

Diet Detective: What keeps you going (your motivation)?

Beth: Making a positive difference in the world.

Diet Detective: On those days when you’re not motivated to work out, but you know you have to, what’s the one thought that gets you going?

Beth: I always have to look good for some trade show, photo shoot, or DVD shoot – that’s motivation enough. Plus when I work out I feel good about myself. That’s enough to keep anyone going.

Diet Detective: What person do you respect the most, or who motivates you?

Beth: Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart.

Diet Detective: If you had to choose a specific song or band to get you psyched for your workout, what would it be?

Beth: Stonehenge’s “Put ‘Em High.”

Diet Detective: If you could build a soundtrack to your life what bands would be on the finished product?

Beth: The rockers of the 70’s — Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, and Linda Ronstadt. Also, the New Wave Bands of the 80’s — Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and Blondie. The Rappers of the 90’s would also be on there in addition to lots of dance music.

Diet Detective: If you could eat one forbidden food whenever you wanted without gaining weight, what would it be?

Beth: Pasta w/ cheese and spicy red sauce.

Diet Detective: If there was one healthy food item (something you love) that you had to eat every day, what would it be?

Beth: Brown rice and broccoli.

Diet Detective: What is the one food or meal you always eat before training?

Beth: Eggs and brown rice with hot sauce and soy sauce.

Diet Detective: What’s the best book about health that you’ve read?

Beth: The Zone by Dr Barry Sears.

Diet Detective: What are your two favorite health magazines?

Beth: Muscle & Fitness and The Ms. Fitness publication.

Diet Detective: What do you consider the world’s most perfect food?

Beth: Wild caught salmon.

Diet Detective: How do you take total control of your mind and body to achieve the focus you need during pivotal sports moments?

Beth: I’ve learned to take deep breaths and have positive self-talk.

Diet Detective: What do you think is the best training location in the world?

Beth: Hands down, Portland, Oregon.

Diet Detective: What do you do to reduce stress/relax/center your mind? Do you participate in an organized relaxation activity such as yoga, meditation, or tai chi?

Beth: I do yoga frequently and go to the gym. Taking long walks with my dogs always helps as well.

Diet Detective: Do you have a favorite healthy recipe or cooking tip? If so would you share it?

Beth: Beth Shaw’s Scissor Salad: Take a bowl and put in spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, garbanzo beans, and olives. With a good pair of scissors chop it all up. Add tuna, turkey, or tofu for a protein source. For a delicious dressing, use olive oil, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to taste.

Diet Detective: Do you have a Calorie Bargain? What food did it replace?

Beth: Making “fake pasta” by substituting sliced vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage, zucchinis and spinach, instead of noodles

Diet Detective: Is there anything about yourself that you’ve changed your mind about in the last 20 years?

Beth: No, I think we learn more about ourselves every day and our minds change slowly.

Diet Detective: Define individual responsibility.

Beth: Individual responsibility is collective responsibility — the knowledge that our individual choices and actions affect the environment and society as a whole.

Diet Detective: What was your worst summer job?

Beth: Waitressing at a restaurant on the Bay in Port Washington. I was a horrible waitress!

Diet Detective: What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

Beth: I’m a little too embarrassed to say!

Diet Detective: What place have you traveled to where you think you could live (other than where you currently live)?

Beth: San Francisco, Portland, Oregon and Vancouver in British Columbia.