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Leftover Valentine’s Day chocolates hanging around the house? Go ahead and indulge! That is, with only dark chocolate and in moderation, of course.

Studies in two prestigious scientific journals cite dark chocolate for its health benefits. Dr. Dirk Taubert and his colleagues at the University of Cologne in Germany say dark chocolate lowers high blood pressure if you’ve reached a certain age and have mild blood pressure. In addition, dark chocolate can be a potent antioxidant, according to Mauro Serafini, Ph.D., of Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome.

But don’t expect the same results from milk chocolate, white chocolate or even dark chocolate eaten with milk. Milk can interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from the chocolate, negating the potential health benefits from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate, Serafini says.

If you do indulge in dark chocolate, don’t forget to balance the calories. A 100-gram serving of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 531 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Don’t substitute chocolate for healthy foods. After all, most of our diets already contain plenty of sweets.

About MAX: MAX specializes in providing affordable personal and business insurance, including home, farm, auto, renters, and other lines to help protect the members of the faith-based community. Our friendly, experienced agents can help answer all your questions about insurance. Visit www.faithbasedinsurance.com/contact-us, email wholeness@faithbasedinsurance.com or call us toll-free at (877) 736-5681.

Source: DeNoon, Daniel J. “Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate.” WebMD.com. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate. 

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If you recently gave your sweetheart jewelry, you may feel like you’ve just successfully conquered another romantic holiday. But there’s one thing you may have forgotten — insurance.

If something were to happen to this expensive gift, would you be covered under your current homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy? You’ll want to examine your policy carefully to see what type of coverage it offers for fine jewelry. It’s likely that your policy probably covers theft, but not loss from other reasons like lost or damaged jewelry.

“Usually, renter’s and homeowner’s insurance policies set limits for the loss of certain categories of personal property, including jewelry,” says Carly Wickell, About.com Guide on Jewelry Insurance. “Homeowner’s policies typically pay a maximum of $1,000 for jewelry theft. A renter’s insurance policy might have a lower limit for jewelry loss — $500 is common.”

If you have questions, call your agent and ask him or her to specify what types of losses are covered on your standard policy. Your agent can help you determine if it’s necessary to purchase additional insurance for your jewelry.

Wickell suggests asking your agent about the following topics:

• Is there a deductible? How much? Does raising or lowering the deductible change the cost of your policy?

• Do you need to obtain an appraisal on your jewelry prior to getting more insurance? Are there certain appraisers you must use?

• Are your jewelry items covered no matter where the loss takes place? For instance, would your policy cover a loss during domestic or international travel?

• Is the jewelry covered for full replacement cost? Do you have to replace the item or can you get a cash settlement?

• Does the policy cover repairs to damaged jewelry?

Knowing how your jewelry is protected in the event of a loss can help give you and your sweetheart peace of mind.

About MAX: Protect your investments in fine jewelry. Now is a great time to review your homeowners insurance and look into additional coverage if needed. We also offer  farm, auto, renters, and other personal lines to help protect the members of the faith-based community. Our friendly, experienced agents can help answer all your questions about insurance. Visit www.faithbasedinsurance.com/contact-us, email wholeness@faithbasedinsurance.com or call us toll-free at (877) 736-5681.

Source: Wickell, Carly. “Jewelry Insurance: Insuring Engagement Rings and Other Fine Jewelry.” About.com. Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://jewelry.about.com/cs/jewelryinsurance/a/insure_jewelry.htm. 

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In a recent post, we covered what’s usually included the property protection section of your home owners insurance policy. Knowing what is and is not covered is important for all home owners, but especially those purchasing a home for the first time.

In this post, we’ll talk about the liability protection part of your policy. If someone is injured on your property or if their property is damaged on your property, you may be held liable. This could be very expensive if you have to pay completely out of pocket, especially in the event of medical expenses or a lawsuit.

Bobbie Sage, personal insurance guide for About.com, says there are two parts to liability protection.

Personal liability usually provides personal liability coverage against a claim or lawsuit that happens as a result of someone being injured or their property being damaged by an accident on your property. This protects you and all family members who live with you, but it does not protect you against auto- and business-related accidents.

Medical payments include coverage to pay for medical expenses for someone who is accidentally injured on your property, regardless of whose fault it is. However, medical expense payments do not apply to your injuries or the injuries of family members who live with you. They also don’t cover activities related to your at-home business.

Remember, all policies have exclusions. Most home owners insurance policies do not cover injuries to animals, damage to motor vehicles, aircraft and parts. Read your policy carefully and ask your agent if you have any questions.

About MAX: Don’t get left out in the cold if an accident happens at your home or on your property. Now is a great time to be sure your liability insurance is adequate. Accidents happen, so make sure you’re protected. We also offer home, farm, auto, renters, and other personal lines to help protect the members of the faith-based community. Our friendly, experienced agents can help answer all your questions about insurance. Visit www.faithbasedinsurance.com/contact-us, email wholeness@faithbasedinsurance.com or call us toll-free at (877) 736-5681.

Source: Sage, Bobbie. Understanding Your Home Owners Insurance Policy. About.com. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from http://personalinsure.about.com/cs/homeowners/a/aa013004a.htm.