What woman doesn't love chocolate? My passion is dark chocolate, both because I adore the rich, deep, chocolately taste plus the antioxidants make me feel good about indulging. Cocoa, the primary ingredient in dark chocolate, contains flavonols which are antioxidants that can help improve heart health by decreasing risk of blood clots and improving the flexibility of blood vessels. That may sound technical, but here's the bottom line: these flavonols are good for you!

Here's the truth: to get the antioxidant effects of chocolate, you need dark chocolate. Look for chocolate with cocoa as the first ingredient (not sugar). For the most antioxidants, choose chocolate with at least 60% cocoa. If the label doesn't list the cocoa content, it's probably not high enough.

A recent taste-test of dark chocolate among passionate people in my local women's running group found these favorites:

• Chocolove Rich Dark Chocolate with 65% cocoa
• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight with 72% cocoa
• Lindt Excellence Intense Dark Chocolate with 70% cocoa

Don't be fooled by Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate or Newman's Own Sweet Dark Chocolate: both have sugar as the first ingredient, which means the antioxidant content isn't high enough to do your heart good.

One note: just because dark chocolate is good for your heart doesn't mean you can overindulge. Enjoy just one ounce per day to reap the health benefits without sabotaging your waistline. Picture this: a deep tub filled with hot water and bubble bath, a glass of white wine, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate, and your lover. Be prepared to fall in love all over again!