"I run like an electric golf cart. Now I look at eating as a way to feed my body and keep me younger. It's not about starving your body, but treating your body like a Ferrari. You don't put in the crappiest gas you can find. You use supreme. In the long term, you'll run clean"

Carol Alt draws a vivid comparison between her approach to health and the maintenance of a high-performance vehicle, specifically a Ferrari. She likens herself to an electric golf cart, perhaps to underscore both efficiency and a sense of running on a specialized, clean fuel. Her perspective on eating shifts the focus away from restrictive dieting or deprivation and towards a more mindful nourishment of the body. She sees food not as something to be withheld in pursuit of slenderness, but as essential fuel to optimize functioning and longevity.

The metaphor of treating the body like a Ferrari rather than an ordinary car underscores the importance of quality. High-end cars require superior fuel to perform at their best, just as our bodies require high-quality, nutrient-rich foods for peak health, not just any calorie will do. The mention of “supreme” gas signals an investment in self-care and a refusal to settle for mediocrity or convenience at the expense of wellness.

The idea is that what we put into our bodies not only affects our immediate energy and mood, but determines how well we age and how vibrant we remain over time. Alt's philosophy calls for conscious choices: selecting whole, nutrient-dense foods that provide long-term benefits rather than the "crappiest gas", a metaphor for junk food or unhealthy options.

Instead of punishing the body through starvation or crash diets, the focus is on sustainability and respect for one’s physical self. Eating well becomes an act of preservation and reverence, a way to honor the body’s capabilities and maintain its “clean running” for years to come. The extended metaphor elevates everyday decisions about food into acts of self-worth, encouraging others to rethink not only how much they eat, but the quality of their nutrition and the respect they show to their own bodies.