Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Dominique Henderson is a 31-year-old vegan cook, speaker, and organizer of the Vegan Decoded Workshop/Fare. Her zodiac sign is Taurus and website is dccancook.com.
Tell me about how you adopted a plant-based vegan diet.
I transitioned to a plant-based diet in May 2017 after being pescatarian (vegetarian plus fish) for over a year. I transitioned to a vegan diet out of curiosity. It was at a time when my food catering business came to a halt and it wasn’t growing. I decided to stop catering and I started cooking vegan food and would post my dishes on social media.
When I started making my own vegan recipes and serving it to my non-vegan friends, they said my vegan cooking tasted very good. I would make my own black bean burger instead of buying the packaged burgers, so I could control what went in it. I use fresh ingredients and can control things like salt when I make it myself. I created a website, dccancook.com and I do live cooking demos to teach people how to cook vegan. My boyfriend, Booq Baag, has been a great inspiration in helping me with my new vegan cooking career.
What pleasantly surprised you most about making the change to a plant-based vegan diet?
Diabetes, heart disease and cancer run in my family. After adopting a plant-based vegan diet, I lost 60 pounds; and just two months ago I learned that I’m no longer diabetic. My A1C levels are currently at 5.4%, whereas they were previously 6.6%. Because of the weight loss, clothes that I couldn’t get in before are now too big. I’ve had to buy new clothes! I guess you can say that I went vegan for curiosity, but I’m staying vegan for health reasons.
Did you notice any other changes?
Yes, even though I was vegan, I was still cooking meat for others. However, something changed in me on a personal level over the Christmas holiday in 2017. Of course, I became more aware of animal cruelty after I went vegan. I was in the kitchen cleaning the turkey. I put it in the pan and I looked at it and just saw this helpless turkey. I broke down and cried. I realized I could no longer cook meat.
Another big change that happened was that going vegan gave me my self-confidence back. I used to take a lot of face selfies, but no full body pictures. I realized I previously felt shame about my body. However, now I embrace my body and the size that I am. I’m always taking full body pictures. I have no problems showing my arms, legs, stomach, because this is me – this is who I am! Being vegan has definitely helped my self-esteem.
What challenges or barriers did you come across when you made the change and how did you overcome or deal with them?
After deciding I would no longer cook meat for others, there was a backlash. I was no longer invited to certain events, but that was okay because they often used me for my cooking. I recognize that this journey is mine and mine alone, so I’m not going to make people feel bad for not being vegan. I still go out with friends and we just order different food. But they keep eating off my plate, because my food always looks and tastes so good. I am opening people’s eyes to the whole vegan lifestyle.
I also faced stereotypes about my food, where an ex-boyfriend called my food “rabbit food” and he even told me no one would want to date me because I was vegan. However, my current boyfriend has been great and very open-minded. In fact, he is currently transitioning to a vegan diet.
I initially got push-back from my doctor. When I told him I was going vegan, he said “you don’t have to do that.” After he saw the results where my A1C dropped, he changed his tune. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t listen to their doctors, but sometimes they just want to pump you with medicine without actually healing you. I think people should pay attention to their body and their health.
Finally, I did have some digestive issues when I first went full vegan. For about 4 to 5 days I had bad bloating. I stuck with it, because I learned that it was my body adjusting. I was now digesting the food. After that 4 to 5 days, my digestion improved, and my body is loving it. I no longer have issues with constipation.
What are some of your favorite dishes? Do you have a favorite recipe you’d be willing to share?
That’s easy! I learned how to make vegan versions of the foods I love. Tacos are my favorite. I also love stir fry with udon noodles. I’m not a big sweets eater, but I love making banana “nice creams”. I also love vegan pizza and chili. I make very good seitan. I have several recipes on my website, dccancook.com.
What advice do you have for someone considering a plant-based vegan diet?
Do what works for you. It’s okay to get inspiration from others. But you must figure out your own journey. If soy or nuts doesn’t work for you, figure it out. Don’t feel obligated to do what someone else does.
What has meant the most to you during this journey?
The support of family and friends has meant the most to me. I definitely want to give a shout out to my boyfriend, Booq Baag. He has been a big source of motivation and really helped me focus. When I wanted to give up, he gave me the drive to keep going. He also helped me with my business slogan “doing imperfect cooking to perfection.” I’ve not been formally trained in cooking but have a natural ability and desire to put foods and flavors together and make them taste great. He has been a source of encouragement and inspiration.
You can connect with Dominique through Instagram @dc_cancook, Facebook at Dominique Henderson, or her website at dccancook.com.