Q. Ever since doing an Ironman 10 days ago I've been starving and craving rubbish like chocolate and biscuits. Is this normal?A. Recovery is an important element of an endurance event such as an Ironman. If you don't do this adequately you may crave

, and should be consumed within 30 minutes of finishing your ride. That's when you gain the most benefit.Hot ChocolateChocolate milk is one of the best post-exercise drinks around, says Gidus. Prepare powdered mixes with low-fat milk instead of water: milk

and they can be hard to resist, but if you give yourself healthy alternatives during the day, you can turn your nose up at the sweets, crisps, muffins, cakes, chocolate and biscuits that seem to hit the spot but leave you with a severe case of buyer's remorse

, but if you give yourself healthy alternatives during the day, you can turn your nose up at the sweets, crisps, muffins, cakes, chocolate and biscuits that seem to hit the spot but leave you with a severe case of buyer's remorse. And a funny taste in your

, and add melted chocolate," says dietician Ellie Krieger, author of The Food You Crave (Taunton Press).5. Ricotta cheese and honeyMake a healthy dessert by mixing ricotta and honey. Ricotta is made of whey and contains cysteine, which helps produce cancer

One of the long-enduring and rarely questioned traditions associated with triathlon events of all kinds is the substantial pasta dinner the evening before race day. After all, who doesn't believe in the hearty, turbo-fuelling advantages of eating a

is difficult. A lab technician might find that a piece of chocolate and a piece of broccoli have the same number of calories. But in action, the broccoli's fibre ensures that the vegetable contributes less energy. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found