SI Swimsuit model Carol Alt was 'on the verge of death' before dramatic health turnaround

Carol Alt was quietly battling debilitating health issues that left her so drained and weak that the model was convinced she was "on the verge of death."

Alt, one of the most recognizable faces of the 1980s, made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 1981 and landed the cover just a year later. She was featured in the outlet six times between 1981 and 1989. Despite gracing the pages of numerous magazines, including Vogue, the star was dealing with a range of physical challenges.

"I had issues my whole life," Alt told fellow Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and friend Kim Alexis, host of the "Unexpired" podcast. "I had allergies as a kid. I would rupture my stomach coughing. Everything made me cough."

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY SHARES HER TOP BEAUTY TIP AND SECRET TO FITNESS IN HER SEVENTIES

Carol Alt was interviewed by fellow Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kim Alexis for the "Unexpired" podcast. (Arnold Jerocki/WireImage,)

"... I had been praying," she later recalled. "I said, 'I don't feel good.' I was doing a job. I didn't look good. I literally escaped from the job, and it had my name on it. ... Everybody looked better than me. Everybody was feeling better than me, projecting better than me. And I went back to L.A. really depressed, and I just started praying. I was like, 'Something's happening. Let me know what it is. Whatever it is, whatever you need me to do, tell me.'"

Carol Alt attends the premiere screening of "Paper Empire" on Feb. 25, 2025, in London. (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for MIP London)

At the height of her modeling career, Alt was running on empty. She often subsisted on poor nutrition and restrictive eating habits. The constant exhaustion she felt didn't fade; it only intensified over time. 

She also struggled with frequent headaches and sinus problems that left her feeling fatigued. Getting by on little sleep during her constant travels, she fueled herself with coffee, sugar and processed foods, leaving her with digestive issues.

It was her friend Steve Cantor who suggested Alt consult Dr. Timothy Brantley, whom she described as a major proponent of the raw food diet.

WATCH: SI SWIMSUIT MODEL CAROL ALT SAYS CHRISTIE BRINKLEY INSPIRED HER BOLD LOOK

The raw food diet focuses on foods that are uncooked and unprocessed, or heated only to relatively low temperatures. Proponents argue that cooking can destroy certain nutrients and natural enzymes found in food. Supporters say the diet can boost energy, improve digestion and promote overall wellness.

Health experts generally note that nutrition needs vary from person to person and that no single eating plan works for everyone.

American model and actress Carol Alt in New York City, circa 1988. (B Bennett/Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

"I'm rolling my eyes," Alt told Alexis. "I pretended to take down his number, and then I hung up. ... A little voice inside of me said, 'Hey, you've tried everything. You've been asking for help, and now you throw this away.' Fortunately, it was a really easy number to remember. So I called."

Kim Alexis and Carol Alt attend the "About Face: Supermodels Then and Now" premiere at The Paley Center for Media in New York City on July 17, 2012. (Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)

When Alt told Brantley about her diet, he laughed, she said.

"I was allergic to Irish, whatever they put in the Irish rye or barley, whatever it was," Alt said. "I was allergic to it. So I went to Scotch. But people have to remember that we were traveling all the time. We never knew what time zone we were in.

Carol Alt at Club USA in New York City, circa 1993. (Steve Eichner/WireImage)

"I would wake up in the morning on my days off, and I would have a Scotch coffee and whipped cream," Alt said. "And when I was working, believe it or not, I would have pizza bread and cappuccino. That would be my breakfast. That was Italy. In France, I'd have a cappuccino and a coffee. And the doctor was like, 'It's the same thing, the sugar and caffeine.'"

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Carol Alt appears in a scene from the 1994 television series "Thunder in Paradise." (Buena Vista Television/Everett Collection)

"... I really had to dig myself out of a very big hole because, first of all, I was addicted to coffee," she shared. "Second of all, I wanted my Scotch in the morning. I loved my whipped cream. I really had to get myself back on track again and completely swing from this way to that way. Timothy took me through it. When I started with Timothy, I couldn't even go without something to eat every couple of hours."

In 1996, at age 35, Alt completely changed her approach to eating. She's never looked back. Alt said the changes didn't happen overnight, but she eventually noticed significant improvements in her energy levels and overall health. The model said she no longer felt constantly exhausted and began feeling stronger and more capable of keeping up with the demands of her career.

Carol Alt walks the runway wearing a white one-piece swimsuit during the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show at Miami Swim Week at the W Hotel Miami Beach on July 7, 2023. (John Parra/Getty Images)

Brantley encouraged Alt to eliminate heavily processed foods and focus on raw fruits, vegetables and other minimally processed ingredients.

"There was no question," she told Alexis. "For me, there was no turning back. And believe me, I've sat at dinners with renal doctors who were taking me through the coals because I was some stupid model. But hey, you know what? I rebuilt my body. I was on the verge of death, and I'm back. So you can't knock me off my pedestal. I'm going to be an orator on this. I'm going to be screaming this from the mountaintops."

Carol Alt poses for a portrait in the 1980s. (Everett Collection)

"... I remember my father dying, saying to me, 'You know, Carol Ann, I should have known something was wrong when I didn't want to go to work,'" she reflected. "And here I was hiding. I'm like, 'There's something wrong. Whatever it is, [God], you've given me a little bit of celebrity. I know I could use it for good. Please let me know.'"

Over the years, Alt has written several books on how natural, unprocessed foods can be used to improve overall health, energy levels and aging.

Carol Alt made her SI Swimsuit debut in 1981. (Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)

"... I think it was more just trying to get people to understand that processed food has so many chemicals, so many preservatives, has so many hidden fats, cooked oils and really bad things. You could have things that were the same, tasted just as good and were just as gratifying that were healthy."

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Carol Alt attends THE Miami Swim Week 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show at the W Hotel in Miami Beach on July 7, 2023. (Manny Hernandez/Wireimage)

When asked how she hopes to be remembered, Alt didn't hesitate, saying, "That I was an inspiration and helped people to live better lives, to eat better and to live better."

"When you eat better, you feel better," she said. "When you feel better, you're nicer to people. That's really what it's about for me. ... I really want people to be happy, and it's so hard to be happy these days. It really is unless you're at peace with yourself. I find a lot of people just aren't. ... We're not all perfect. We're not all able to do what other people do, but look at your attributes and be happy and joyous in that. Bring that forth to the world because the universe will conspire to find use for you."

Carol Alt became one of the most recognizable supermodels of the 1980s, earning the nickname "The Face" and appearing on more than 500 magazine covers during her career. (Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)

In 2023, Alt told Fox News Digital she would have done some things differently as a model.

WATCH: '80S SUPERMODEL CAROL ALT ON AGING, HOW NOT TO BREAK DOWN LIKE ‘AN OLD CAR’

"I wish when I was 18, 19 years old and somebody said to me, ‘You should eat your vegetables raw,'" she said at the time.

"I suffered through my modeling career because I was always tired, I was always malnourished. I was always trying to keep my weight down. I didn't eat, and when I ate, I ate garbage because I really did not know what to eat," she continued.

Carol Alt is seen here in Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy, on July 24, 2020. (Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)

"I didn't know what to eat in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, how much, and what would keep my energy going, and there were so many times I suffered," Alt noted.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Model Carol Alt attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 50th Anniversary Party at Swimsuit Beach House in New York City on Feb. 18, 2014. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)

Alt said that if she had changed how she ate earlier, her modeling career would have been "immensely" different.

"I just had no energy left to be cool and groovy," she said.