When national icon Victoria Beckham was spotted carrying a copy of Skinny Bitch, this diet book rocketed its way to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. The book proposes a strict vegan diet for those who want to lose unwanted pounds, but if you dig deeper, you’ll learn that going vegan is more than wanting to be or being a “skinny bitch”.  It’s a way a life.

Lets start with the basics: what exactly is veganism? A vegan is a person who abstains from eating or using animal products. Unlike vegetarians, who simply don’t eat meat, vegans avoid dairy products, animal skin, or animal-tested products. Many consider veganism to be a logical progression of the vegetarian diet while others take the plunge all at once, but few understand its full benefits.

A vegan lifestyle allows for a healthier body, a better life for animals, and a cleaner environment, but many are skeptical about trading in their tasty cheeseburgers for a soy-based product or vegetables.

“I don’t think I could ever do it, “ said 21-year-old Kelsy Houser. “I don’t want to eat rabbit food for the rest of my life.”

In reality however, vegans have extensive options for tasty meals; there is more to it than salad. Endless websites and books provide sample meal choices and substitutes for popular meat-based dishes.

Two great sites for vegan recipes and information are Vegan.org and Goveg.com. There are also books to help the inquiring vegan; Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World by Bob and Jenna Torres is a detailed guide of how to go vegan and stay that way. Another great book is Vegan with a Vengeance, a cookbook with plenty of tasty recipes, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Recipes range from comfort foods like vegan macaroni and cheese and vegan chocolate-chip cookies to more exotic dishes like Chana Masala (the vegan version of an Indian favorite).

“It’s surprising how easy it is to keep eating your favorite foods, but with healthier ingredients,” said Grace Ward, a vegetarian who plans to gradually work toward a vegan lifestyle.

The choice seems pretty simple, but veganism doesn’t come without its potential downfalls. Vegan grocery shopping can be a bit more costly, which is difficult if you’re a college student. Many colleges and universities don’t provide adequate vegan options, which can mean money out of the student’s own pocket.

Most vegan products are organic which makes them more costly. Many of the items in a vegan diet can be found in the same grocery isles as their animal counterparts, but for clothing it may be best to visit a website such as Veganstore.com to find animal-free products.

“It gets hard when I’m at school,” said vegan Kristen Stepkke. Stepkke tries to stick with the naturally animal-free foods while at school, loading up on veggies and hummus so she can spend a little extra cash on chocolate soy milk, a favorite of hers. “It’s kind of expensive.”

Another struggle related to adopting a vegan lifestyle is making sure to do it properly. If you aren’t conscious of your eating and ensuring that you are supplementing your body’s needs, problems will arise. If you aren’t ensuring your body gets the proper nutrients, you may experience light-headedness, nausea, and potential long-term effects such as iron deficiency.

Don’t worry! Keeping your body happy isn’t hard. Drinking vitamin-D fortified soy milk, orange juice, rice milk, or apple juice will help since you will have to cut dairy from your diet. Iron, B12, and protein are also important levels to monitor when adopting a vegan lifestyle. They can easily be obtained through vegan options like spinach, which is very Iron rich, and beans, peanut butter, or lentils, all of which have a lot of protein. If nothing else, simply taking a multivitamin can help your body stay healthy during the transition. These vitamins can be found at your local health store online at sites like Veganessentials.com.

It may seem like a lot to take in, but in the long run you’re helping yourself, animals, and the world around you. Many people do not realize how beneficial going vegan can be to the environment. A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry is responsible for more greenhouse emissions that transportation. Cutting out meat really can go a long way.

The most important thing about going vegan is doing your homework. Don’t dive into something that you don’t fully understand. It takes a little bit of research and planning to properly maintain a healthy diet with the vegan lifestyle but many resources will aid in the transition.

Vegan.org is a great source for first time vegans; they provide tips on shopping vegan, eating out, and getting all the nutrients your body needs; it also provides links to other sites with helpful information.

Forget about the Skinny Bitch tactics and take a look at veganism for what it really is: an alternate way of life that promotes better health, animal rights advocacy, and a cleaner environment.