Eating processed food does more than make us fat – it is bumming us out! There are a number of foods to help boost your mood. Today let’s talk about eating in greener pastures!

Grass-fed beef has a lower overall fat count and contains higher levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids compared to grain-feed beef. Beef is not the only animal protein you’ll find grazing in green pastures. Lamb is another great choice if you can look past how cute they are. Lamb meat is lean and packed with iron –  a nutrient that is vital for a stable mood. Symptoms of iron deficiency can include weakness and fatigue, irritability and mood swings, headaches, shortness of breath, and restless leg syndrome.

Animals that are raised in greener pastures have much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is a good fat that combats stress hormones, promotes weight loss, builds lean muscle, boost immunity, and halts cancer growth. CLA is a fatty acid found only in the meat and milk of ruminants such as cattle. Research shows animals raised in green pastures have higher CLA levels than those who are raised mostly on grains.

Milk from grass-fed cows contained up to 500 percent more CLA than milk from cows fed a diet of 50 percent grain. CLA is found ONLY in the fat of ruminants and their milk, so you won’t find it in skim milk or other non-fat dairy products! “The higher the fat–cream, butter, ice cream, cheese–the more CLA there is,” says Dale Bauman, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University who studies the effect of diet on cows’ CLA levels.

If you don’t drink milk, you can take CLA as a supplement.

Some say that eating right is expensive, but if you watch the sales at stores like Sprouts or visit a local farmers market, you can buy these foods at a very reasonable price.

Are you really bummed out? Try reading: The Happiness Diet