Feeding Life Through Acts of Grace ~ How Simple Acts of Care become Nourishment for All Beings

By Alisa Battaglia

As I sit in the quiet moment of now, the crisp air awakens my spirit to the early morning hours before the buzz of the technosphere. I just sit—breathing, being, feeling grateful for my life, my mother, and my beautiful home. My heart holds a desire for deeper connection with my neighbors and the greater stream of life moving all around me.

Yesterday, I learned that another neighbor has fallen ill—sudden and unexplained. I offered what I could: knowledge of healing steps and support. In conversation, we discovered a shared secret—we’ve both been feeding and sheltering a small feline family that has become the neighborhood’s gentle strays.

As I sip delicious hot tea, I look into my autumn garden and wonder where my dove flock is. Maybe they sense the felines about. I take notice that the bird seed cake holder needs a refill. I feel a sense of concern to assure the cats and birds are fed. It’s cold and most of their favorite flowers are gone and wonder about the bees. Then my thoughts wander to my new and endearing friend who feeds the homeless and the hungry. He said he fed 50 people yesterday, more than usual. No one should be left in the cold and without at least meal a day. I eat two.

Hardship moves through every layer of life, yet so can grace. We do what we can with what we have—planting flowers for a dying species of pollinator bees and butterflies, leaving food for strays and wild animals displaced by rapid encroachment to lending a hand to those in need in ways we can. To offer warmth to another soul with a kind word or gesture. For instance, a sweater that does not fit will fit someone who never had the luxury of feeling warm in one.  These small acts of kindness, born from the impulse of love, are the healing balm that lifts life to a higher order.

Strive to always be better and more loving than the day before, until you realize—we are not separate, but actually all one. While this sounds fanciful on paper and ideology, it is love in action that beats the true heart of the human family. As stewards of nature, this knowing is inborn, yet outbred by a pseudo way of living detached from the very origins upon whom we live, move and have our being. Nature shows us when we are still enough to observe the cooperative link. Everything lives through cooperation.

Ask yourself: What am I grateful for in my life today that fills my heart and overflows me with tears of reverence in recognition of this moment of Grace?  Then Pay it forward!

I AM
In Excelsis Deo

Alisa Battaglia, November 1, 2025

AlisaBattaglia©2025


Negative Emotions & Food – Part 1

Every moment of every day your thoughts – all the endless chattering inside your head are manifesting themselves as your reality. If your internal voice is a monologue that constantly criticizes your every move as a failure, you will fail. ~The Intention 

What we put in our mind is as important as what we put in our mouths, just as the exercise of our mind is as important as the exercise of our bodies. This makes sense, as the body-mind is one system where every thought creates a biological reaction in the body. In fact, life-negating thoughts are infectious and have a powerful negative effect on the healing system of the body. For instance, if our thoughts are filled with fear, guilt, anger, depression, or anxiety we often necessitate a physical compensation of eating comfort foods to return some sense of balance despite the physical consequences. Over time these compensating eating behaviors become fixed in the unconscious mind, thereby turning this process into uncontrollable cravings that creates destructive patterns in our lives. Negative emotions acidify the blood – a precursor to dis-ease states.

In my own process to wellness over a span of over two decades, I discovered that there was a direct link between my emotions and food cravings. That the food I ate was only one source of energy – a secondary source of energy in my life because it was secondary to the primary sustenance that comes from feeling good in my body from movement, having healthy happy relationships, a fulfilling vocation, creative outlets and most importantly a spiritual practice.

The quality of my life in all areas directly affected my thoughts and feelings, which were closely linked to what I would eat and drink. When I was bothered by something I gave up a wholesome meal for a small box of chocolates – an impulse buy at the checkout counter. I used food as a way to insulate my pain. I have always exercised and have never been overweight, but assuredly, if I had not worked on my emotional eating patterns and discovered a correction between my negative mood states and the effects certain food had on my physiology, I very well could be. I found, however, that it was not so much about weight, but developing body wisdom and affirming attitude towards life. This important distinction between what primary food and secondary food is makes or breaks quality of life.

No doubt, the kinds of food we eat are essential to our health. The food we digest is assimilated into our bodies and transforms food and nutrients into blood. The bloodstream picks up nutrients from sunlight infused food, the digestive tract, oxygen from the lungs, hormones from the endocrine glands and enzymes from other parts of the body, and transports to all tissues, structures head to toe. It also picks up wastes and transports to the lungs, liver, kidneys, lymph system, etc. for detoxification and eventual elimination. Blood builds, fuels, cleanses, moistens, cools and warms all structure and function.” The energy output of our food that creates our cells, new tissues, organs, skin and hair is a factor held within the pH (acid/Alkaline) balance of our blood directly linked by food and negative emotion.

Most people consider food the only aspect of nutrition, but I discovered that when I was nourished on a deeper level that my body would shift into an intuitive eating pattern. For instance, when I was grounded in my body, I noticed that it would tell me what it needed to feel nourished. When I did not observe my body’s wisdom and ate something other, I often got a stomach ache. This became a trial and error process of what to eat and when to eat. I also discovered that the body self-regulates. Self-regulation—the inner wisdom of my body, lets me know through healthy food cravings that I need to eat more raw food, protein, fruit or vegetables nutrition, and so on. For instance, if I have a craving for salt or sugar, I take note of my monthly biorhythm & what may be temporarily out of balance due to hormone fluctuation of nutrition imbalances. I then seek to fulfill that craving in a healthy way.I find that eating a large tablespoon or two of thick raw honey readily satisfies a desire for sweetness or raw 88% cacao chocolate increasing serotonin the brain.

To activate the body’s self-regulation it is essential to eat when our bodies are hungry and not according to the dictates of the clock.  Self-regulation requires that we no longer ingest toxic foods, sugars and high fructose corn syrup, transfats, chemical additives and highly addictive substances.

You Are What You EAT: To Learn More Click Here

For difficulty in changing self-destructive habits and negative emotional patterns, I am here to help you. My rates are totally reasonable. Take the first step and Schedule a “Designer Wellness Program” Consultation to bring balance and well-being into your life. The Program offers a multidimensional approach to wellness addressing the body-mind emotional-spiritual components because “One size Does Not Fit All.” Love Yourself Today!

To Learn more visit:  https://integrallifewellness.com/IntegrallifeServices/integrallife.htm#integrnut