According to a study conducted by the Barcelona University, eating a Mediterranean diet rich in nuts or extra-virgin oil can reduce the chance of those at high cardiovascular risk from suffering a heart attack or stroke by 30 per cent.

The findings also noted that diets including plenty of fruit, vegetables, fish and wine and only small amounts of red meat and dairy products are also healthy for the heart.

"The results of our trial might explain, in part, the lower cardiovascular mortality in Mediterranean countries than in northern Europe or the United States," the authors wrote in the report, which was published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers studied 7,447 men – aged between 55 and 88 years of age – and women – aged between 60 and 80 years of age for six years.

While none of the respondents had any cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study, they were all at risk due to various reasons such as diabetes, smoking, bad cholesterol and high blood pressure.

The results showed that those who ate a low fat diet over a diet rich in olive oil and nuts were more likely to have a stroke or heart attack.

Announcing the news yesterday (January 29), the computing giant said the newest iPad 4 will have 128 GB worth of memory – twice the storage capacity of the 64 GB model.

Philip Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, said expanding the iPad's memory would give consumers even more reason to love the product.

"With more than 120 million iPads sold, it's clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and every day they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs," Mr Schiller said in a media statement.

"With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs."

The new model will hit Australian shelves on February 5, costing $869 for a Wi-Fi model and $1,009 for mobile data capability.

Apple said increased memory will benefit those who use the product for business functions – in particular architectural and engineering drawings.

Posted by Molly Sinclaire

Entitled "Track My Macca's," the app allows users to scan their meal and take a look at the journey it took to reach their hands.

The free app is easy to use – you simply point the camera on your phone at a specific code on the side of a burger box, enter what McDonald's restaurant you bought it from and at which time.

With all this information input into the app, users will be able to see a 3D animation of what farm the lettuce and tomato came from, where the meat originated and where the bun came from.

At present the app works on just a selection of menu items – the Big Mac, Filet O'Fish, McChicken burgers and chicken nuggets – with it expanding to incorporate fries in the future.

McDonald's Australia chief marketing officer Mark Lollback said the unique app allows consumers to gain an interactive understanding of their fast food meal.

"This innovative app from the DDB Group is another way for us to share this with our customers, putting them in the driving seat and allowing them to see for themselves where our food comes from and what happens on its way to their plate," Beef Central reported Mr Lollback as saying. 

Posted by Molly Sinclaire

While it may be tempting to buy your lunch while at work, you can never be too sure about what unhealthy ingredients may be lurking in a seemingly healthy meal.

Making lunch doesn't have to be a time consuming exercise – why not try out some of the following easy and nutritious lunch ideas?

Chicken salad pita pocket

If you find sandwiches a bit on the boring side, why not try pita pockets? Not only are they lighter than bread, you can also find them in different flavours such as garlic. Fill it with shredded chicken, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumber.

Tuna rice paper rolls

Rice paper rolls are delicious, healthy and easy to prepare – making them the perfect lunch! They do take a little bit longer to make than a simple sandwich, so you may want to do these the night before.

Soak a rice paper round in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 15 to 20 seconds until just soft. Place on a clean tea towel or paper towel and place a small amount of prepared vermicelli  noodles in the centre of the round – ensure to leave enough room to roll up. On top of the noodles place a spoonful of drained tuna, a few strips of thin carrot, some shredded lettuce and a few bean sprouts.

Roll up, tucking the ends in to secure the filling. Repeat the process for as many rolls as you desire and serve with soy and chilli dipping sauce.

Posted by Tyson Outhwaite

According to a source, the 34-year-old actress has decided to study law – following in the footsteps of her attorney father Martin Holmes.

"Katie started acting when she was a teenager and she's grown tired of that world," an insider told the National Enquirer.

"She expressed a keen interest in law while splitting from Tom and now the divorce is finalised, she has the time, the money and the opportunity to go to school.

Holmes also wants to do it for more personal reasons, the source added.

"More importantly, she wants to be a strong female role model for her daughter Suri."

While it may be not be the done thing for Hollywood's rich and famous to ditch the glitz and glamour for the books, Holmes wouldn't be the only star to gain a degree.

Scottish actor Gerard Butler was a qualified lawyer himself before he found fame in the 1990s, while English actor Rowan Atkinson has a master's degree in electrical engineering.

Posted by Tyson Outhwaite

Argentinian model Lopilato shared the news through a You Tube clip, uploading a scan of their "mini Buble".

The 22 second video, backed by Buble's music, was posted last night (January 24) and finished with the quote, "We're having a baby Buble!"

The 25-year-old wife of Buble also confirmed the news on her Facebook page.

"I wanted to share with you this great joy with which God has blessed our families and us," Lopilato wrote.

"Thanks to my family for being with me in every second of my anxiety for wanting to tell, and take care of me with love as they do every day. Thanks to my friends for being as happy as me and giving me the most beautiful hugs. And thanks to God for giving me one of the most beautiful joys and opportunities that a woman can get."

Buble, 37, and Lopilato first met in 2009 and married in not one, but two, ceremonies two years later – one in each of their native homelands.

Last year, Buble spoke about pushing away his busy schedule aside to become a father.

"I'll continue for a couple more years and then it's not that I'm going to stop. But I'll definitely probably slow down the pace so that I can not have to hate myself for not being there for the family."

Posted by Molly Sinclaire

The hi-tech product, which will rival the likes of the popular Apple iPad and Samsung's Galaxy tablet, is likely to make a stir, with it boasting a number of impressive features.

At just 6.9 mm thin, the Xperia beats the 7.2 mm iPad Mini while still containing a full sized screen of 10.1 inches (26 cm).

And with thinness comes lightness – it will weigh just 485 grams, significantly less the iPad 4 which is 653 grams.

Technology lovers may also be interested to learn that the new device – which is yet to have its price decided – is waterproof.

Kazuo Hirai, chief executive officer at Sony, said the Tokyo-based company is focusing on mobile devices such as tablets in a bid to branch into more markets and reignite sales.

"It's a rational strategy for Sony to focus on mobile devices including tablets as its TV business is no longer a cash cow," Keita Wakabayashi, an analyst at Mito Securities in Tokyo said, Fairfax reported.

"Still, the tricky part of the tablet business is that products can conflict with laptop computers on one hand and smartphones on the other."

Posted by Tyson Outhwaite

The singer has become a mother for the first time after giving birth to baby Milan on January 22 in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

On her official Twitter page, she told followers: "Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth."

The tweet added that the name Milan means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic, before offering various other interpretations.

Shakira had previously taken to the social networking site to tell fans that she was about to go into labour and asked them to pray for her, triggering messages of support from people all over the world.

The couple recently launched a charity baby shower to raise much needed funds for Unicef – fans visit a virtual room where they can learn about the challenges faced by developing nations and buy inspirational gifts to help them.

The gifts include mosquito nets, polio vaccinations, baby weighing scales and therapeutic food.

Anyone who takes part in the online baby shower will receive a personal video message from the new parents and access to a gallery of photos that have not previously been shared publicly.

Addressing her Twitter followers, the 54-year-old comedian teased that fans should be prepared to jump on a plane.

"(Tuesday's) a big day, Australia. If you're near the Sydney Opera House you may wanna pack a bag and get your passport ready. Seriously.

"Before I go down under, someone in Sydney's gonna have a chance to come up over. I hope you're free tomorrow at 9.30am," she tweeted.

Around a dozen crew members from the show are already in Australia scouting out locations for when Ellen visits Australia over the coming months.

The chat show host is trying to go one better than rival Oprah Winfrey, who recently surprised 302 viewers with a trip to Australia at the start of her 25th and final season.

Winners visited locations such as Hamilton Island and Daintree in Queensland, as well as Kangaroo Island and the Barossa in South Australia.

Other stops included Phillip Island in Victoria and the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.

The 26-year-old is believed to be heading out into the Outback to start shooting for The Rover, a futuristic western thought to cost in the region of $12.5 million to produce.

Although producers are remaining tight-lipped on exact filming locations, it is thought that Flinders Ranges is likely to be on the list.

Onlookers saw the movie star in a Currie Street nightclub where he is reported to have requested a VIP area to be sectioned off for his entourage.

R-Patz told reporters about the role: "It's the type of part I was afraid I wouldn't get after being in a franchise.

"It's one of the best [scripts] I've read. It's one of my top five favourite scripts that I've read since I started doing this."

There has been much speculation over Pattinson's relationship with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart over recent weeks, after the couple reportedly reconciled following claims of her infidelity.

However, speculation is now rife that the couple have separated once again – although this is a rumour that is yet to be confirmed or denied.