About Me

Howdy! My name is Cassandra. Some people call me Cassy. Others call me Cass.

I have the appetite of a linebacker and the natural athletic ability of a baby deer.

I am blessed with an incredible family, supportive + willing to eat anything boyfriend, demanding but rewarding day job, and my main man {the big white dog} Gus.

Austin {my boyfriend}, Gus and I all live happily in San Antonio, TX.

By day, I work as a business development and marketing specialist for an architectural engineering firm. The 6 year-old firm is owned by my parents and staffed by some of my most trusted life mentors. It might sound like an easy deal, but don’t be fooled. Working for your family and lifelong friends manifests a heightened sense of responsibility and productivity. I love helping this company grow and am blessed that my day-job environment whole-heartedly supports me while I pursue my life’s true passion.

By night {which includes early mornings, lunch, evenings, 3 a.m. too excited to sleep, weekends, and holidays}, I cook, photograph, write, research, and workout. I work tirelessly to develop new Paleo recipes and promote a healthy lifestyle. I lead customized interactive presentations on healthy body image, lifestyle design, and smart food choices for youth groups, college students, corporations, and fitness communities.

I was first introduced to the gluten-free/clean/Paleo lifestyle just over 3 years ago and it completely changed my life.

Before hopping on the real food train, I was serial dieter and always hungry. Tasty food and culture were important to me but I gave them up after my waistline kept growing. I wasn’t overweight necessarily, but oversized. I never felt comfortable in my skin and couldn’t figure out why all the diet sodas, non-fat Greek yogurt, and sprouted whole wheat weren’t working.

Aside from the 20 years I’ve spent learning how to play a socially acceptable round of golf, I was never any good at sports. Workouts were punishment for the pizza I ate the night before or for the fact that I outgrew another pair of jeans. Desperate for an easy solution, I adventured into the land of anorexia for a short time during college, dabbled in veganism after graduation, and ran so much in a 6-month period that I permanently damaged my knees. Sound obsessive? It was. I was obsessed with wanting to be skinny and {secondarily} healthy. Not good.

As time went on, the veil slowly lifted to show that my string of fad diets and obsessive cardio workouts were not only unsustainable but ultimately detrimental to my long-term health. I needed a different mindset and a different solution. In 2010 I faced my fear of free weights + “real gym people” and signed up for CrossFit.

Joining CrossFit was a turning point for me. I stopped caring about slimming down and started focusing on becoming STRONG. To fuel my quest for strength & health, I researched the Paleo diet and appropriate portion control. I jumped in with both feet. No grains, no dairy, no alcohol, no caffeine, no sugar. After about 18 months of CrossFit 3x a week and a very strict Paleo diet, my body shrunk 10 dress sizes and I lost {only} 8 lbs. I went from a size 12/14 to a size 2/4 and only lost 8 lbs!! What’s the take away here? 2 things:

#1, when you start eating and working out for lifelong health, your body will settle into its optimal form.

#2, the scale can tell you very little about your health.

Paleo worked for me because I eliminated the inflammatory foods from my diet. My new way of eating combined with a new workout routine that I LOVED helped to create the me I was meant to be. I learned that my performance in CrossFit {and later Ashtanga yoga}, just like golf, is a game I play against myself. With the undue pressure of worrying about my athleticism gone, I started to love my workouts and feel comfortable in my skin.

Since my strict Paleo diet a few years ago, I’ve relaxed into a real food lifestyle that now includes some gluten-free sweets, the occasional cocktail, and relaxed restaurant dining. I call it 80/20 Paleo. I stick to meat, veggies, fruits, and nuts/seeds 80% of the time and leave the other 20% to my indulgences. I believe this is the recipe for sustained success.

After my tremendous healthy lifestyle improvement of mind and body, the next logical step was to share all I’d learned and created with anyone and everyone possible.

Fed & Fit was born.

I’m on a mission to share that food comes first {why it’s Fed & Fit …not Fit & Fed}. Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland or boring and a fitness routine doesn’t have to be punishing. Food should nourish the body, soul, and leave you thinking, “that sinfully delicious grub was actually good for me?!” Your workouts {whether that’s yoga, CrossFit, social kickball, walking the dog, or chasing your toddler} should be fun, energizing, and leave you with a feeling of fulfillment.

The plot of my life continues to thicken as my passion and dreams collide with reality. I have some exciting plans and can’t wait to update you on my progress.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my tasty recipes, sometimes articulate musings, and countless photos of Gus.