But the real question is: does the cost justify the end result? And are there other ways to arrive at clean fruits and veggies without resorting to expensive washes which purport to safely remove pesticides, waxes and chemicals?

I’ve used the washes before, in fact, I even still have a little bit below my sink. But my take is that there are simpler ways to thoroughly clean fruits and veggies that can save your precious pennies (and these days every little bit helps).

My favorite and totally inexpensive approach to removing wax and pesticides is amazingly simple: salt. I simply put my veggies in a bowl of cool water with a few dashes of salt. A simple scrub in the salt solution and they’re  good to go.

In a perfect world, I’d buy everything organic, but these days there are certain items I always buy organic and others that I don’t.  Check out a recent post I wrote about this sharing the “dirty dozen” — those items you should definitely try to buy organic. In the end, however, organic or not, I always like to be sure I spend a few moments thoroughly cleaning the bounty of fresh fruit and veggies that I’m treating my body to.

What’s your preferred method for cleaning fresh fruits and veggies? Are you like me, believing that cleaning veggies can be quick, simple and cheap? Do tell!

Lack of sexual energy is often due to over-taxed adrenal glands and kidneys. Beans are notorious for strengthening these organs (ever noticed the shape of a bean?) and can help restore vital energy as well as sexual energy.

Beans have a reputation for causing digestive distress, but this is usually because they have been undercooked or improperly prepared. To help reduce gas-forming properties, soak beans overnight prior to cooking, cook beans for a long time, and add spices like bay leaf, fennel, oregano or cumin. In addition, adding kombu, a sea vegetable, not only helps with digestion but improves flavor, adds minerals and nutrients, and speeds up the cooking process. And a word about salt…it’s best to add salt at the end of the cooking process once beans are tender, otherwise it will cause them to toughen up.