CONGKAK - Secret Steps To Win

by Roshidan Rashid

AMONG the ancient games that have evolved through time, congkak was played by digging holes on ground and using tamarind seeds for points. Congkak was found in Jordan back in 5000BC and is played under different names in India and Ethiopia.

In Malaysia, congkak is believed to have originated from the Malacca Malay Sultanate more than 600 years ago and has spread throughout the region as foreign traders leaving Malacca port brought home the popular game to their loved ones. 

Congkak is believed have originated from the word congak, which in old Malay means to count (mental calculation). 

Congkak boards are made of wood and are shaped like a traditional Malay fishing boat. As the congkak board is shaped like a boat, it is believed to be based on the legend of a fisherman. Unable to go to the sea in rainy seasons, he created the game to pass time.

Congkak is a very simple game that can be played alone, or usually, with friends.

The congkak board has 14 pits in two sets of seven, with an additional pit (home/store) for each player to place their winnings.

Each player controls the seven pits on their side of the board, and his score is the number of seeds at the end of the game. The aim of the game is to capture more seeds than the opponent. The player who empties all the opponent's pits and captures the most seeds in her home at the end of the game wins.

At the start, seeds are distributed equally into all pits except the two end pits (home/store), one of which belonged to a player. The player who starts the game will take all the seeds from one pit and distributes them one by one in each pit, going clockwise and dropping one into his/her end pit. When the last seed in hand is dropped into a pit containing other seeds, he/she picks all up and starts the distribution again. He/she loses her turn when the final seed drops into an empty pit as the game progresses. Then the second player starts his/her turn.

How To Beat Your Opponent

Here are the secret steps how to beat your opponent when playing congkak until your opponent has nothing left. These steps were thought to me by my grandfather through his experience of practicing by playing alone for many years. The numbers shown is the pit number that we have to start collect the seeds and distribute. The last seed of every step should finished at our end pit before we could go to the next step. Be very careful in distributing the seed, because you may drop the seed in a wrong pit and may result an error.

However since it is still hold as a secret, a further instruction on certain point (number) is unexposed. Unless you are really interested to know, please let me know.

Please try the 5 vs 7 situation, which has no further instruction to see for yourself, the proof that these steps are winning steps.

7 vs 7

7-1-3-5-3-1-4-5-4-3-7-2-3-1-2-6-4-2-5-1-7-6-1-2-3-6-4-6-2-6-1-3-4-5-6-3-4-2-7-2-5-2-4

7 vs 6

1-3-5-1-5-1-2-3-2-4-4-1-2-5-4-6-5-7-7-5-3-7-3-4-1-3-7-4-2-1-4-6-5-1-2-4-3-1

6 vs 7

1-3-5-1-5-1-5-4-1-1-2-1-5-3-3-1-2

7 vs 5

2-4-6-5-3-4-4-2-1-2-7-3-2-6-3-4-3-1-1

5 vs 7

2-4-1-4-5-4-3-2-5-2-4-3-1-3-5-2-4-3

7 vs 4

3-5-3-7-2-3-2-7-3-4-2-4-7-4-3-5-1-2-7-6-1-2-3-5-7-2-1-4-3-2-5-2-3-3-6-4-3-1

7 vs 3

4-6-4-4-5-4-5-4-2-2-5-1-2-4-7-2-6-4-2-1-6

7 vs 2

5-7-1-7-3-4-3-6-6-2-5-2-3-4-3-2-6-2-5-1-7-6-2-5

7 vs 1

4 -stab (tikam)-1-2-4-2-5-4-3-1-6-2-1-2-4-5-2-1

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When an Extra Chromosome is One Too Many

By Dr Zilfalil Alwi

CORRUPTION to genes passed down to the baby from his parents can cause a myriad of problems. Having that additional chromosome 13, 18 or 21 can make a whole of difference, writes DR ZILFALIL ALWI.

AFTER trying for almost three years, Aishah and her husband, Samad (not their real names), were thrilled to find out that she was pregnant.

However, their happiness was shortlived as the baby had gross deformities of the face and hands. The baby also has gross brain and heart defects and doctors told them it would not live long.

Blood test for chromosome analysis revealed an abnormality on chromosome 13, a condition called Trisomy 13 or Patau Syndrome.

Trisomy 13 is a condition in which a patient has three copies of chromosome 13 instead of the usual two.

This results in the body having 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46.

A baby with Trisomy 13 has gross cranio-facial abnormalities. The middle part of the face and brain fails to develop resulting in an empty space.

.... continue to read here

Is your Drinking Water Healthy or Merely Safe?

By Michael R. Long

ALWAYS know what you are drinking. A common misconception is that safe water equals healthy water but certified water specialist MICHAEL R. LONG explains the difference.

In the US, it was reported that traces of pharmaceutical drugs were being found in treated drinking water in countries all over the world. This fact has raised many concerns among the Malaysian public, particularly because contaminated water does not necessarily look murky.

Drinking water that is crystal clear can contain numerous contaminants that are odourless, colourless and completely invisible to the human eye yet are potentially dangerous and harmful to human health.

DRINKABLE WATER FROM THE TAP?

In most countries around the world, water is treated before being piped to consumers. In some countries, people actually drink water straight from the tap. This implies that the water is "safe" or, to use a more technical term, "potable".

Consider that here in Malaysia, even though I don't know anyone who drinks water straight from the tap, almost all of us swallow small amounts of tap water each time we brush our teeth. Since we don't suffer immediate sickness or health problems, we can conclude that the mains water which is being supplied to our homes is "safe" or "potable".

.... continue to read here

Why Rice is Worse than Sugar

By Rajen M.

RICE and other grains like wheat and corn can actually be worse than sugar. In fact, if you go by the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) studies, white rice is almost equal to white sugar.

Indeed, white rice has an index of 92 versus 100 for sugar. The glycemic load is 30 - in excess of the 20 that it he upper limit per "good carbohydrate" serving.

However, there are several reasons why rice is worse than sugar:

Rice becomes sugar

This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. Remember the experiment in school where you chewed on some cooked rice for a while. After a while, it turned sweet!

Actually, one bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. It does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice.

A bowl of brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and mineral but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar.

To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume to lots of kangkong (Ipomoea aquatic or water spinach) - 10 bowls of it.

Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar, within half an hour - almost as quickly as it would if your took a sugar candy.

Rice is also lacking in the "rainbow of anti-oxidants". This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar.

Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.

Rice has no fibre

The fibre of the kangkong fills you long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you will end up eating lots of this "calorie dense" food.

Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.

Rice is tasteless while sugar is sweet. There is only so much you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up?

How many bowls of rice would you eat at lunch in a banana leaf restaurant today?

Another point worth noting is that rice is always the main part of the meal. While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe 2-3 teaspoons of sugar at one meal.

However, you could easily eat the equivalent of two to three bowls, which translates to 20-30 teaspoons of sugar, in one meal.

I am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (50 teaspoons of sugar) at a banana leaf restaurant and then ask for teh tarik that is kurang manis!

There is no real "built in" mechanism for us to prevent overeating rice. How much kangkong can you eat? How much fried chicken can you eat? How much steamed fish can you eat?

Think about that. In terms of just quantity, where will you eat more - at a banana leaf restaurant where rice it the bulk or a western restaurant serving grilled fish and broccoli?

You eat more salt

As rice is tasteless, you tend to consume more salt - another villain when it comes to high blood pressure.

You tend to take more curry which has salt to help flavour the tasteless rice. We also tend to consume more ketchup and soy sauce which are also rich is salt.

Eating rice causes you to drink less water. The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink as there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice.

Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily food. As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other substitute foods like rice flour, noodles and bread.

Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest. It is "heavy stuff".

If you have problems with digestion, try skipping rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem will just go away.

Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals. When taken in bulk, it reduces the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins.

Actually, you were not meant to eat rice. You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years.

However, our food and lifestyle has changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognise our food or way of life.

Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire.

The stuff that he ate were fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat.

Yes, even meat. You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzyme systems to digest meat.

However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you are starving in the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down.

Thus, the caveman never ate rice. As you share the same genetic code, you shouldn't too. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food. In some parts of Asia, rice forms up to 85 per cent of the plate.

Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue, not your body.

Rice is actually vitaminless, mineraless, colourless, flavourless, fibreless and useless.

Can you rely on rice to keep you healthy? Eat a colourful and varied diet.

Are you addicted?

Going rice-less may not be easy but you can do it. Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:

* Cut your rice by half. Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises "eating rice like spice".

Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables. Take more lean meats and fish. You can even take more eggs and nuts.

* Have rice-less meals - take no rice or wheat at breakfast. Go for eggs instead.

* Go on rice-less days - go 'western' once a week. Take no rice and breads for one day every week. That can't be too difficult.

* Appreciate the richness of your food - go for taste, colours and smells. Make eating a culinary delight.

Enjoy your food in the original flavours. Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup. You will automatically eat less rice.

* Eat your salads before your meal. You many even eat your fruit dessert before your meals. The fibre rich fruits will "bulk up" in your stomach.

* References: www.mendosa.com/gifactor.htmGlycaemic index and glycaemic load values of commercially available products in Britain, C. Jeya, K. Henry, British Journal of Nutrition (2005), 94, 922-930.

KEY POINTS

* Rice was never part of human nutrition for some 3.8 million years

* We adapted rice to our diets just 8,000 years ago

* Only in the 1920s did rice processing technology make it possible for Asians to consume large amounts of rice cheaply

* One cup of white rice is the calorie equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar

* This causes blood sugar to rice quickly (glucose shock for your body)

* Rice digestion begins in the mouth itself

* As rice is tasteless, you can overeat, and we normally do

Dental Care

BRUSHING and flossing your teeth properly along with regular dental checkups may prevent tooth decay and gum diseases. Beside giving you a beautiful smile, healthy teeth and gums.

Most people spend a lot of money on beauty products like skin care and hair products instead, or pay regular visits to beauty centres, but only go to the dentist once every six months or a year.

One of the reasons they dread seeing the dentist is because they are afraid of the drill, but oral care does not have to be much work if you follow the simple steps above.

.... continue to read here

Milk : Most Nutritionally Complete Food - God’s Greatest Gift

PEOPLE has used milk as food since very ancient times. Milk is a natural source of calcium and protein necessary for good health. It is regarded as one of the most nutritionally complete foods available on our planet. In fact, milk is nutritionally complete food for all ages and has been part of the human diet for thousands of years.

Mother's milk is best for babies and young children. Ideally, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life. Nothing compares to breast milk and every effort should be made to ensure babies have this highly nourishing substance but for older, already weaned children and adults, cow's milk is a great source of daily nutrition needs especially calcium.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for babies for the first six months, after which their nutrition should be complemented with family foods in addition to breast milk.

In order to encourage breastfeeding, mothers should refrain from placing a pacifier in the mouth of their babies as it hinders the breastfeeding process. It is interesting to note that mother's milk is the purest and most sterile milk for babies. Poisoning is highly unlikely even if the mother is infected with a disease. Breast milk could be given as frequently as possible and as long as the baby needs it. Factors like confusion, fear, pain, embarrassment and anxiety could hinder the production of milk.

Breast milk is the natural first food for babies, as it provides all the energy and nutrients that an infant needs for the first months of life. It continues to provide up to half or more of a child's nutritional needs during the second half of the first year.

Breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protects the infant against infectious and chronic diseases. Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea or pneumonia, and helps for a quicker recovery during illness.

However, breastfeeding may not be possible for all women. For many women, the decision to breastfeed or formula feed is based on their comfort level, lifestyle and other specific medical considerations that they may have.

For mothers who are unable to breastfeed or who decided not to, cow or soya-based infant formula is a good alternative that will meet a baby's nutritional needs.

Once a child reaches a year's old, they can be transitioned to whole milk or cow's milk.

Milk is a great source of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and magnesium. It will build the toddler's bones and teeth and help his body regulate his blood coagulation and muscle control. Almost all milk is fortified with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb the calcium it needs.

Milk also provides protein for growth, as well as carbohydrates, which gives the child the energy he needs to toddle all day!

If the child gets enough calcium from an early age, there is evidence that he will have a lower risk of suffering from high blood pressure, stroke, colon cancer and hip fractures later in life.

True allergies to cow's milk are relatively uncommon. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), only two to three per cent of children are allergic to milk, and 95 per cent of them outgrow it by age 3.

The AAP recommends children eat three servings of milk, flavoured milk, cheese or yogurt a day.

Research has shown that children who regularly avoid milk have lower bone mineral density and have more bone fractures.

Parents play an important role in establishing healthy dietary habits, and this includes the practice of including dairy foods in their own diets as well.

Women should totally avoid smoking and drinking alcohol during and after their pregnancies. Breastfeeding is not merely about mutually exclusive benefits for mother and baby, as it has considerable impact on society. Mothers must understand that babies have the right to receive nothing but the best source of nutrition. Any other food apart from breast milk is not encouraged, except under certain circumstances.

Benefits to the baby:

* Mother's milk contains protein, fat and the easily digestible omega 3 fatty acid essential for the brain development of the baby.

* The milk contains antibodies which protect the baby against infection, gastrointestinal disease, respiration difficulty and ear infection.

* It could also reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer among children.

* Children who are breastfed develop resistance to allergy.

* Breast milk also reduces the risk of gastro-enteritis among premature babies.

* Breast milk is known to reduce the risk of caries, sight and speech related problems and is known to strengthen the jaw.

* Breastfeeding prevents sudden death syndrome in the baby.

* Breast milk is known to reduce the risk of heart attack in adulthood.

* Breastfed infants are not prone to diarrhoea, thus reducing medical expenses.

* Breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mother and baby.

Benefits to the mother:

* Protection from breast and cervical cancer.

* Naturally reduces weight especially around the waist as the oxytocin hormone helps to shrink the uterus faster.

* This process helps to shorten the puerpurium flow period.

* Hastens post delivery wound recovery.

* Reduces the risk of osteoporosis and heart problem.

* Cost effective alternative to infant formula.

* Breastfeeding acts as a natural family planning device.

* Breastfeeding helps fulfill the responsibility of being a mother Benefits to the society:

* New parents could spend their time effectively with their family and the community.

* Reduces treatment, medical and lab test costs.

* Conserves the environment by reducing pollution and unnecessary wastage.

* Children with fewer health complaints indirectly help the parents become more productive at work.

Animals Milk

The ability to domesticate animals and reap the benefits of milk is a man's greatest success story. Ten thousand years ago, when humans were still hunters, someone was smart enough to say 'wait, don't kill these animals. Use them for milk'. Whoever that person was, he was certainly one of the greatest geniuses in human history. The success story of milk has continued undeterred since and that in itself is proof of its benefits, efficacy and safety

Yet in different parts of the world, different animals have been the source of its supply. 

In Britain and among other English-speaking people, the cow furnished most of the milk supply. In Spain, a great deal of the milk comes from sheep. The desert tribes of Arabia get milk from the camel. In Egypt, the water buffalo is a source of milk, In Lapland, reindeer furnish milk to the people.

In Peru, the Llama is a milk-producing animal. In Tibet, the people get milk from the yak. And in many countries, the goat is an important supplier of milk.

Is all milk the same? The answer is no. Each animal produces milk especially suited for its own young.

Cow's milk is intended for a calf and not for a human baby. Cow's milk has less sugar, more salts, and four times as much casein, an important protein substance, as human milk.

While milk differs a great deal, depending on the species of animal, it always contains fat, protein, carbohydrate, and minerals.

No matter which milk people drink in different parts of the world, they obtain these vital substances for nourishment.

The last milk to be drawn at each milking is richer in fat than the rest, so a good job of milking can produce richer milk from the same cow than a poor job.

Besides milk, there are other ways to ensure an adequate supply of milk in one's diet, and this is through dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt, and ice-cream.

Cheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and the addition of rennet causes coagulation. The solids are then separated and pressed into final form. Some cheeses also contain moulds, either on the outer rind or throughout.

Yogurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic tang. Soy yogurt, a non-dairy yoghurt alternative, is made from soy milk. It is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with fruits or other ingredients.

Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners. In some cases, artificial flavourings and colour is also used. This mixture is stirred slowly while cooling to prevent large ice crystals from forming; the result is a smoothly textured ice cream.

Here are some essential but little known facts about milk.

MILK AND DIABETES

* A growing body research suggests that eating dairy foods, especially low-fat varieties, may help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

MILK AND CANCER

* There is strong evidence to suggest that a high intake of calcium and calcium-rich foods (such as milk and dairy products) helps to lower the risk of colon cancer. Similarly, preliminary research data also suggests that drinking milk may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

MILK AND FAT INTAKE

* Contrary to popular belief, fat from milk is not a major contributor to your daily fat intake. In fact, there is far less fat in milk than many people think. Even whole milk contains only 3.9 per cent fat. With only one per cent fat, low fat milk has less than half the fat of whole milk.

MILK AND CALCIUM

* Milk and dairy products are some of the best natural sources of calcium. To obtain the same amount of calcium as a 200ml glass of milk, you will need to consume either four servings of broccoli, 7 1/2 slices of white bread, 11 servings of spinach or 15 servings of red kidney beans.