How To-78: "How to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

How to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you ever wanted to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet? Ever felt like it would be too difficult? Believe it or not, it is actually quite easy.

Steps

  1. Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand.
  2. Buy organic produce when possible; it often tastes better.
  3. Place fruit in a bowl on the kitchen counter where you will see it and be reminded to eat it.
  4. Develop the habit of eating a salad with lunch or dinner.
  5. Incorporate fruits and vegetables into your favorite recipes. For instance, add diced apples and chopped celery to chicken salad.
  6. Substitute fruits and vegetables for junk food.
  7. Use dips to make fruits and vegetables more flavorful. Dip carrots in ranch dressing or apples in peanut butter.
  8. Take a fruit or vegetable when you leave your house to avoid using vending machines.
  9. Develop the habit of eating certain fruits and vegetables at certain times of day. For instance, an orange for a mid-morning snack and an apple for an afternoon snack.
  10. When hosting or attending a social get-together, prepare a vegetable tray to eat before the meal.
  11. Eat fruit for dessert.

Tips

  • The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the easier it becomes.
  • By eliminating high-fat and high-sugar foods from your diet, it will be easier to acquire a taste for fruits and vegetables.
  • Eat organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible to avoid pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified food.
  • The USDA recommends eating 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
  • If you have difficulty eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, consider taking fruits and vegetables in capsule form.

Warnings

  • Always eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for the maximum health benefits. If you only eat one type of fruit or vegetable, your body will not get all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients it needs.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Eat More Fruits and Vegatables. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Posted in Fruits, How To, Vegetables. 1 Comment »

How To-77: "How to Reduce Your Age With Top 10 Antioxidant Fruits and Vegetables"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

How to Reduce Your Age With Top 10 Antioxidant Fruits and Vegetables

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit


This article is a stub. You can help by expanding and clarifying it. Notice added on 2006-08-02.

Want to find the healthiest foods? Here’s one method.

Steps

  1. Consider ORAC scores of various foods. ORAC refers to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, an analysis that is used to measure the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances. The higher the ORAC score, the greater its antioxidant capacity. This is a laboratory measurement and its relevance to the diet is unclear. Demonstrating that a substance neutralizes free radicals in a test tube and showing that it prevents some disease are quite different matters. ORAC scores for 3.5 oz (100 ml):
    • Mangosteen——————–20,000
    • Acai————————–18,400
    • Pomegranate——————-10,500
    • Prunes————————5,770
    • Raisins———————–2,830
    • Blueberries——————2,400
    • Strawberries—————-1,540
    • Raspberries—————–1,220
    • Plums—————————-949
    • Oranges————————-750
    • Grapes—————————739
    • Cherries————————–670
    • Kiwi——————————–602
    • Kale——————————1,770
    • Spinach————————-1,260
    • Brussels Sprouts—————980
    • Broccoli florets——————-890
    • Beets——————————–840
    • Red Bell Peppers—————710
    • Onions——————————450
    • Corn———————————-400
    • Eggplant—————————-390
    • Carrots——————————210

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Reduce Your Age With Top 10 Antioxidant Fruits and Vegetables. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To-76: "How to Choose the Most Important Organic Foods"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

How many times have you thought “organic foods are too expensive; I can’t afford to go organic”? Or maybe you feel it is just too difficult to wade through all the statistics and information on choosing organic foods and the reasons for preferring it over conventionally grown foods. Organic foods are good for you because they are free of many added chemicals and hormones that conventionally grown foods receive as part of the growth cycle. However, it can add up at the cash register to try and keep yourself healthier by eating organic foods. To help you make your decisions in an informed way, here are some simple tips to identify the best choices and stay within budget.

Steps

  1. Understand why organic foods should be an important part of your diet. Organic foods are grown with no or fewer chemical or hormonal additives in their growth cycle than conventionally grown produce and meat. This means that laws on organic labelling in many places ban the use of a wide array of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, hormone treatments, antiobiotics etc. on any produce or meat destined to carry an organic certification.
  2. Choose the crucial dozen organic foods. The dozen foods listed next are considered to be the foods most vulnerable to the addition of too many pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics etc. This top dozen lists food items where home washing and cooking practices are unlikely to result in reduction of the chemical or hormonal residues:
    • Beef, chicken and pork
    • Dairy products: Milk, cheese and butter
    • Strawberries, raspberries and cherries
    • Apples and pears
    • Tomatoes
    • Spinach and salad greens
    • Coffee
    • Potatoes
    • Stone fruits: Peaches, nectarines and apricots
    • Grapes
    • Celery
    • Peppers (capsicums), green and red
  3. Shop for seasonal foods. Seasonally available produce is the budget-conscious shopper’s prize. Produce in season is always value for money because it is plentiful and this includes organic produce. In addition, seasonal food often travels less distance as it is grown locally and therefore will keep in better condition (more nutrients), for longer. From a comfort perspective, there is something very calming and traditional about eating the way our ancestors have for millennia; you become attuned to the cycle of the seasons. An added bonus: You are less inclined to overfill your fridge with food that ends up going unnoticed, which saves you money.
  4. Eat in moderation. The statistics on obesity continue to rise. We do not need huge quantities of food; too much food makes our bodies sick rather than healthy and happy. While eating in moderation means eating less food overall, it most certainly does not mean going without and feeling hungry. Change to eating more energy-sustaining foods, such as organic grains andto bulk out your diet. You will not need to eat as much of these foods, as unlike processed foods, you will feel full faster and for longer. Your budget will go further simply through choosing prime quality organic foods in smaller amounts. Most importantly, eating in moderation will result in less intake of chemical and hormonal residues and that can only be a good outcome for everyone.
  5. Eat variety. Variety means including all those vegetables and not just living off potatoes. The more that you vary your diet within seasonal constraints, there is a higher likelihood that you will have less exposure to a build-up of one type of chemical residues. Variety also means an interesting and fulfilling diet, as well as a greater likelihood that you will get all the nutrients, anti-oxidants and fibre that you need to keep healthy.
  6. Be realistic. Most nutritionists would still prefer that you eat fruit and vegetables whether they are organic or conventional in origin in preference to highly processed foods. Use the list set out in step 2 to pick the organic foods and then purchase conventional foods for the remainder if you have a tight budget. Taking the simple step of choosing some organics to include in your diet is an important one of taking control over what is potentially affecting your health; whilstyou will still be surrounded by the chemical load of our industrial age, you are taking positive action to help yourself and to encourage organic growers at the same time.

Tips

  • The “harm” discussed in this article that may arise from eating conventionally grown foods is theoretical. It is possible, but not certain, that pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals or additives may build up over time, particularly in body fat, and result in health problems.
  • Be aware that, depending on the jurisdiction in which your foods have been grown, small amounts of certain types of chemicals may have been used on organic produce. In general, if such chemicals have been certified as allowed for use in the organic sector, they ought to be ones considered to safe for human consumption as a result of scientific testing and observations over a very long period of time and to come with a high level of certainty as to their negligible impacts on human beings. If this bothers you still, do your research to find out just what “organic” labels permit in your part of the world. Some organic producers use natural products that they deem safe, but that have not been tested scientifically. Also organic producers may fertilize their crops with animal manures which have not been properly composted. These foods pose a risk for pathogens that can cause serious illness.
  • Try to reduce the amounts of processed foods in your diet. You get less nutritional benefits from processed foods, organic or not. *If you really enjoy that cake laden with sugar (yes it is very processed), have it once a month rather than everyday. Then it becomes a blissful treat rather than something taken for granted.
  • Always wash vegetables and fruit well; some stores sell special detergents for this. Just because it is labeled organic doesn’t mean it is safe to eat without a wash; bacteria thrive under all conditions.

Warnings

  • Some jurisdictions may have more lax laws on what “organic” means. Always do your research first. Read labels carefully; some products try to be organic but contain very little in the way of organic components, such as breakfast cereals. The more processed an item, the more likely it is that you should read the label carefully.
  • Be wary of industry propaganda aimed at belittling organic efforts. There are some seriously bad side effects from many of the chemicals and hormones used in our food and where profits are at stake, there is also plenty to discourage you from making healthy choices for you and your family. Do your own research; don’t just take this article as gospel either. You are responsible for learning as much as you can about your health and how to protect it.
  • Do not confuse organic and natural. The two terms are different, although they may be used on the same item. Natural by itself means nothing; in most places it is an entirely unregulated term that means nothing other than what the manufacturer wants it to mean.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose the Most Important Organic Foods. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.


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How To: "How to Solve a Sudoku"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam



from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Sudoku is a puzzle that has swept the world. It is very fun to play, but can be tricky and confusing at first. The object is to put the numbers 1-9 in every row, column, and 3×3 square block.

Steps

Easy

  1. Use the counting principles to solve the puzzles. Since you already know that you can’t have the same number in any row, column, or nine-square block, you can use that to help you get a number. The difficulty depends on the placement of the numbers given to you.
  2. Seek “definites”. When solving an easy Sudoku, the first thing you should do is look for definites. Definites are numbers that are definitely going to be there. Starting at 1, draw imaginary lines through boxes in that 1’s row and/or column. When there is only one box left in the 3×3 box, you know that is a definite. (See images one and two).
  3. Work your way through the numbers until 9. Since you have filled in some numbers, this should help get other numbers that had more than one possibility before. (See images three and four. Notice how the 3s could not have been solved before, but are solved in the final).
  4. Look again when stuck. If you get stuck, go back and make sure to look at everything. It is almost guaranteed you missed something. That one number is usually all you need to get going again. If you still cannot find any solutions, start labeling every block with every number that could possibly go in that box. For example, in image one, all the empty boxes have numbers that could possibly go there. Fill these in. If there is a 1 in the row or column of that box, you know that 1 is not a possibility.
  5. Start by doing Sudoku in the newspaper or online (see links below). The newspaper Sudokus are usually easier on Monday and Tuesday. The difficulty increases as the week passes.

This particular Sudoku (images one through four) could be solved with only definites, but what do you do if it can’t? Hard

  1. Start at number 1. Use the same logic from an easy puzzle to fill in every empty box with all of the possible numbers for that box. If possible, put in definites. For example, picture three shows that you can’t solve for 3. In a hard Sudoku, you won’t be able to solve from the start, so just fill in what you know it could be.) This will help later when you have two or three options per box and you can’t remember what they are.
  2. Note that if two boxes in a block, column or row must be one of two numbers, you can use those to eliminate other possibilities. For example, in a block, there are four open boxes. From your analysis, you have determined that:
    • box A can be 1, 2, 3, or 4;
    • box B can be 1, 2, 3, or 4;
    • box C can be 3 or 4; and
    • box D can be 3 or 4.
    • From this we know that box A and B cannot be 3 or 4, because they have to be either 1 or 2. Box C and D have to be either 3 or 4. This information might be useful in solving other boxes.
  3. Recognize that hard Sudokus can take time – a lot of time. A hard Sudoku can actually take days to complete, but they are still fun. The harder they are, the more fun it is when you finish. A hard Sudoku can be solved the same as an easy one, it just gives you less to start with. The logic of a hard puzzle is that if you know everything that can go in every box, it is very simple. For example, if you have two possible 2s for a particular nine-square box, and they are in a row or column and you know that 2s cannot go anywhere else in the nine-square box, then you know that the row or column those 2s are in cannot have 2s in it except in this nine-square box. This sounds confusing, but when applied, it is actually very easy and it helps a lot.
  4. Consider this alternative, sure fire way to always solve a puzzle accurately and quickly. In this method, fill in each block with all the possible numbers that could go there. Write all the numbers small at the top of the block. You can recreate the puzzle on bigger paper to help with this. Write all the numbers that don’t appear in that row, column or square. Once you have done this for a whole column or row, start filling in the obvious answers. You will have solved the puzzle by the time you do this for every row.

Samurai

  1. Be a confident and advanced Sudoku player. The Samurai Sudoku puzzle is a puzzle only to be attempted by a skilled Sudoku solver. It is basically five Sudokus in one. The corners of each are interconnected with a middle puzzle (see image below). These puzzles can be long and difficult.
  2. Keep the connections in sight. When solving these, you must always remember that the corner connected with the center puzzle must work with both puzzles.
  3. Look at the lines. The lines that are twenty-one boxes long are going to be looked at as if there were three separate nine block lines, one of which is comprised of pieces of the other two.
  4. Solve just as you would a regular puzzle. Just remember that you can have up to three of the same number in lines that connect to the center puzzle.
  5. See External Links below for Samurai Puzzles.

Killer Samurai Sudoku Killer Samurai Rules

  1. Be aware that “Killer Samurai” is a modification of the samurai puzzles listed above. The basic rules of the puzzle are as follows: (note: the standard Sudoku rules apply to this puzzle as well, i.e. each nine square box has to have the numbers 1-9)
  2. Look within each of the colored blocks for a small number. This denotes the total value of the squares within that block. For example, if a colored block comprising 3 squares totals 7, then the individual squares must be 1, 2 and 4, but it is down to the reader to ascertain in which order they must be placed.
  3. Notice that within each colored block, a number may be repeated, although this is rare.
  4. Note the total. Each nine square block must total 45, as must every row and column.
  5. Realize that in a Killer Samurai puzzle there are 4 instances where 3 x 3 grids belong to two different nine square blocks. In this situation the same rules of Sudoku apply, i.e. the numbers 1 – 9 must be used once only. It stands to reason that these 4 grids can hold the key to solving the entire puzzle.

Advice for Solving the Puzzle

  1. Look for colored blocks which contain high or low totals. These have fewer combinations of numbers and are, as such, easier to solve.
  2. Look for a group of colored blocks which protrude beyond the boundary of the nine square blocks by one square only. This will allow the reader to determine at least one square of a colored block.
  3. Don’t just think of a single block totaling 45. It may sometimes be possible to ascertain a number by adding colored blocks in 2, 3, 4 or more nine square blocks totaling 90, 135, 180 etc to ascertain a single elusive number.
  4. Look for intersecting coloured blocks with high or low totals. For example, where a colored block totaling 3 is at 90 degrees to a colored block totaling 4, the values of the blocks should be easy to work out as there is only a choice of 3 numbers; 1, 2 and 3, but don`t forget that each row and column must contain the numbers 1 – 9 once only.
  5. Look to eliminate ‘pairs’. If a colored block of 2 squares totals 4, 6, 8 etc., logic tells you that the numbers contained within cannot be 2 & 2, 3 & 3 and 4 & 4 etc. thus reducing the permutations.
  6. Look for colored blocks that form ‘lines’. For example, if 4 colored blocks of 2 squares form a line, then the missing number can be calculated by deducting the total from 45.

Number Combinations 2 Square Combinations 3 = 1 & 24 = 1 & 35 = 1 & 4, 2 & 36 = 1 & 5, 2 & 47 = 1 & 6, 2 & 5, 3 & 48 = 1 & 7, 2 & 6, 3 & 59 = 1 & 8, 2 & 7, 3 & 6, 4 & 510 = 1 & 9, 2 & 8, 3 & 7, 4 & 611 = 2 & 9, 3 & 8, 4 & 7, 5 & 612 = 3 & 9, 4 & 8, 5 & 713 = 4 & 9, 5 & 8, 6 & 714 = 5 & 9, 6 & 815 = 6 & 9, 7 & 816 = 7 & 917 = 8 & 9 3 Square Combinations 6 = 1, 2 & 37 = 1, 2 & 48 = 1, 2 & 5; 1, 3 & 49 = 1, 3 & 5; 1, 2 & 6; 2, 3 & 410 = 1, 3 & 6; 1, 2 & 7; 1, 4 & 5; 2, 3 & 511 = 1, 2 & 8; 1, 3 & 7; 1, 4 & 6; 2, 3 & 6; 2, 4 & 512 = 1, 2 & 9; 1, 3 & 8; 1, 4 & 7; 1, 5 & 6; 2, 3 & 7; 2, 4 & 6; 3, 4 & 513 = 1, 3 & 9; 1, 4 & 8; 1, 5 & 7; 2, 3 & 8; 2, 4 & 7; 2, 5 & 6; 3, 4 & 614 = 1, 4 & 9; 1, 5 & 8; 1, 6 & 7; 2, 3 & 9; 2, 4 & 8; 2, 5 & 7; 3, 4 & 7; 3, 5 & 615 = 1, 5 & 9; 1, 6 & 8; 2, 4 & 9; 2, 5 & 8; 2, 6 & 7; 3, 4 & 8; 3, 5 & 7; 4, 5 & 616 = 1, 6 & 9; 1, 7 & 8; 2, 6 & 8; 2, 5 & 9; 3, 4 & 9; 3, 5 & 8; 3, 6 & 7; 4, 5 & 717 = 1, 7 & 9; 2, 6 & 9; 2, 7 & 8; 3, 5 & 9; 3, 6 & 8; 4, 5 & 8; 4, 6 & 718 = 1, 8 & 9; 2, 7 & 9; 3, 6 & 9; 4, 5 & 9; 3, 7 & 8; 4, 6 & 8; 5, 6 & 719 = 2, 8 & 9; 3, 7 & 9; 4, 6 & 9; 4, 7 & 8; 5, 6 & 820 = 3, 8 & 9; 4, 7 & 9; 5, 6 & 9; 5, 7 & 821 = 4, 8 & 9; 5, 7 & 9; 6, 7 & 822 = 5, 8 & 9; 6, 7 & 923 = 6, 8 & 9 24 = 7, 8 & 9

  • Remember that Killer Samurai Sudoku is an advanced variant of Sudoku and it is highly recommended that you try to complete a normal and also Samurai Sudoku before undertaking these more complex puzzles. These are extremely hard puzzles. They may take days to complete. Just have patience.

Tips

  • Check twice, put a number once.
  • If you’re having a block, stop, and take a break for a couple hours. Take a nap, do some errands, play a game, etc.
  • Another good place to practice your Sudoku skills is in a book. There are many books with Sudoku puzzles in them. Some even have step by step instructions to improve even more.
  • Have contests with your friends or coworkers. Make copies of a puzzle and try to see who can finish the fastest. Doing this once a day or once a week will help to dramatically increase your speed.
  • Use the web-pages below to help you. They are all very useful, but try to stay away from the auto-fillers. Where is the fun if the computer does it all for you?
  • Copy the puzzle onto a grid much bigger than the ones in the newspaper, using a marker. Now solve the puzzle using the bigger squares to clearly write in pencil all the possible numbers.
  • Try to find the obvious first.
  • Go by box, then by row, then column.

Warnings

  • It is considered cheating if you guess at where a number could be. All true Sudoku puzzles are solvable with only logic. If there are two possible numbers that could go in a space and you just choose one and hope it’s right, this is cheating.
  • Before using solvers, try to solve it yourself. Where is the fun if something else solves it for you?
  • For every cell you fill in, make sure you double, or even triple check your logic; one single error could mess up the entire puzzle. If you are almost sure a three can go in a box, triple check why you think this. If there is even a remote possibility of a three going in a different box, don’t put a number down! Many a person has almost finished a puzzle only to find that they put one number in the wrong place.
  • Try to look at the puzzle both ways; rather than working north to south all the time, try east to west. Remember, it’s always a good idea to look both ways before crossing the street.

Things You’ll Need

  • Time
    • 10-20 minutes for easy to medium after you’ve become a little experienced.
    • 30-45 minutes for medium to hard.
    • 1-4 hours for Samurai (unless you are very skilled).
    • 4 hours+ for Killer Samurai
  • Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Patience
  • Logical ability

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Information

Teams/Leagues

Puzzles

Programs

Solvers

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Solve a Sudoku. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Posted in How To. 36 Comments »

How To: "How to Solve a Sudoku"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam



from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Sudoku is a puzzle that has swept the world. It is very fun to play, but can be tricky and confusing at first. The object is to put the numbers 1-9 in every row, column, and 3×3 square block.

Steps

Easy

  1. Use the counting principles to solve the puzzles. Since you already know that you can’t have the same number in any row, column, or nine-square block, you can use that to help you get a number. The difficulty depends on the placement of the numbers given to you.
  2. Seek “definites”. When solving an easy Sudoku, the first thing you should do is look for definites. Definites are numbers that are definitely going to be there. Starting at 1, draw imaginary lines through boxes in that 1’s row and/or column. When there is only one box left in the 3×3 box, you know that is a definite. (See images one and two).
  3. Work your way through the numbers until 9. Since you have filled in some numbers, this should help get other numbers that had more than one possibility before. (See images three and four. Notice how the 3s could not have been solved before, but are solved in the final).
  4. Look again when stuck. If you get stuck, go back and make sure to look at everything. It is almost guaranteed you missed something. That one number is usually all you need to get going again. If you still cannot find any solutions, start labeling every block with every number that could possibly go in that box. For example, in image one, all the empty boxes have numbers that could possibly go there. Fill these in. If there is a 1 in the row or column of that box, you know that 1 is not a possibility.
  5. Start by doing Sudoku in the newspaper or online (see links below). The newspaper Sudokus are usually easier on Monday and Tuesday. The difficulty increases as the week passes.

This particular Sudoku (images one through four) could be solved with only definites, but what do you do if it can’t? Hard

  1. Start at number 1. Use the same logic from an easy puzzle to fill in every empty box with all of the possible numbers for that box. If possible, put in definites. For example, picture three shows that you can’t solve for 3. In a hard Sudoku, you won’t be able to solve from the start, so just fill in what you know it could be.) This will help later when you have two or three options per box and you can’t remember what they are.
  2. Note that if two boxes in a block, column or row must be one of two numbers, you can use those to eliminate other possibilities. For example, in a block, there are four open boxes. From your analysis, you have determined that:
    • box A can be 1, 2, 3, or 4;
    • box B can be 1, 2, 3, or 4;
    • box C can be 3 or 4; and
    • box D can be 3 or 4.
    • From this we know that box A and B cannot be 3 or 4, because they have to be either 1 or 2. Box C and D have to be either 3 or 4. This information might be useful in solving other boxes.
  3. Recognize that hard Sudokus can take time – a lot of time. A hard Sudoku can actually take days to complete, but they are still fun. The harder they are, the more fun it is when you finish. A hard Sudoku can be solved the same as an easy one, it just gives you less to start with. The logic of a hard puzzle is that if you know everything that can go in every box, it is very simple. For example, if you have two possible 2s for a particular nine-square box, and they are in a row or column and you know that 2s cannot go anywhere else in the nine-square box, then you know that the row or column those 2s are in cannot have 2s in it except in this nine-square box. This sounds confusing, but when applied, it is actually very easy and it helps a lot.
  4. Consider this alternative, sure fire way to always solve a puzzle accurately and quickly. In this method, fill in each block with all the possible numbers that could go there. Write all the numbers small at the top of the block. You can recreate the puzzle on bigger paper to help with this. Write all the numbers that don’t appear in that row, column or square. Once you have done this for a whole column or row, start filling in the obvious answers. You will have solved the puzzle by the time you do this for every row.

Samurai

  1. Be a confident and advanced Sudoku player. The Samurai Sudoku puzzle is a puzzle only to be attempted by a skilled Sudoku solver. It is basically five Sudokus in one. The corners of each are interconnected with a middle puzzle (see image below). These puzzles can be long and difficult.
  2. Keep the connections in sight. When solving these, you must always remember that the corner connected with the center puzzle must work with both puzzles.
  3. Look at the lines. The lines that are twenty-one boxes long are going to be looked at as if there were three separate nine block lines, one of which is comprised of pieces of the other two.
  4. Solve just as you would a regular puzzle. Just remember that you can have up to three of the same number in lines that connect to the center puzzle.
  5. See External Links below for Samurai Puzzles.

Killer Samurai Sudoku Killer Samurai Rules

  1. Be aware that “Killer Samurai” is a modification of the samurai puzzles listed above. The basic rules of the puzzle are as follows: (note: the standard Sudoku rules apply to this puzzle as well, i.e. each nine square box has to have the numbers 1-9)
  2. Look within each of the colored blocks for a small number. This denotes the total value of the squares within that block. For example, if a colored block comprising 3 squares totals 7, then the individual squares must be 1, 2 and 4, but it is down to the reader to ascertain in which order they must be placed.
  3. Notice that within each colored block, a number may be repeated, although this is rare.
  4. Note the total. Each nine square block must total 45, as must every row and column.
  5. Realize that in a Killer Samurai puzzle there are 4 instances where 3 x 3 grids belong to two different nine square blocks. In this situation the same rules of Sudoku apply, i.e. the numbers 1 – 9 must be used once only. It stands to reason that these 4 grids can hold the key to solving the entire puzzle.

Advice for Solving the Puzzle

  1. Look for colored blocks which contain high or low totals. These have fewer combinations of numbers and are, as such, easier to solve.
  2. Look for a group of colored blocks which protrude beyond the boundary of the nine square blocks by one square only. This will allow the reader to determine at least one square of a colored block.
  3. Don’t just think of a single block totaling 45. It may sometimes be possible to ascertain a number by adding colored blocks in 2, 3, 4 or more nine square blocks totaling 90, 135, 180 etc to ascertain a single elusive number.
  4. Look for intersecting coloured blocks with high or low totals. For example, where a colored block totaling 3 is at 90 degrees to a colored block totaling 4, the values of the blocks should be easy to work out as there is only a choice of 3 numbers; 1, 2 and 3, but don`t forget that each row and column must contain the numbers 1 – 9 once only.
  5. Look to eliminate ‘pairs’. If a colored block of 2 squares totals 4, 6, 8 etc., logic tells you that the numbers contained within cannot be 2 & 2, 3 & 3 and 4 & 4 etc. thus reducing the permutations.
  6. Look for colored blocks that form ‘lines’. For example, if 4 colored blocks of 2 squares form a line, then the missing number can be calculated by deducting the total from 45.

Number Combinations 2 Square Combinations 3 = 1 & 24 = 1 & 35 = 1 & 4, 2 & 36 = 1 & 5, 2 & 47 = 1 & 6, 2 & 5, 3 & 48 = 1 & 7, 2 & 6, 3 & 59 = 1 & 8, 2 & 7, 3 & 6, 4 & 510 = 1 & 9, 2 & 8, 3 & 7, 4 & 611 = 2 & 9, 3 & 8, 4 & 7, 5 & 612 = 3 & 9, 4 & 8, 5 & 713 = 4 & 9, 5 & 8, 6 & 714 = 5 & 9, 6 & 815 = 6 & 9, 7 & 816 = 7 & 917 = 8 & 9 3 Square Combinations 6 = 1, 2 & 37 = 1, 2 & 48 = 1, 2 & 5; 1, 3 & 49 = 1, 3 & 5; 1, 2 & 6; 2, 3 & 410 = 1, 3 & 6; 1, 2 & 7; 1, 4 & 5; 2, 3 & 511 = 1, 2 & 8; 1, 3 & 7; 1, 4 & 6; 2, 3 & 6; 2, 4 & 512 = 1, 2 & 9; 1, 3 & 8; 1, 4 & 7; 1, 5 & 6; 2, 3 & 7; 2, 4 & 6; 3, 4 & 513 = 1, 3 & 9; 1, 4 & 8; 1, 5 & 7; 2, 3 & 8; 2, 4 & 7; 2, 5 & 6; 3, 4 & 614 = 1, 4 & 9; 1, 5 & 8; 1, 6 & 7; 2, 3 & 9; 2, 4 & 8; 2, 5 & 7; 3, 4 & 7; 3, 5 & 615 = 1, 5 & 9; 1, 6 & 8; 2, 4 & 9; 2, 5 & 8; 2, 6 & 7; 3, 4 & 8; 3, 5 & 7; 4, 5 & 616 = 1, 6 & 9; 1, 7 & 8; 2, 6 & 8; 2, 5 & 9; 3, 4 & 9; 3, 5 & 8; 3, 6 & 7; 4, 5 & 717 = 1, 7 & 9; 2, 6 & 9; 2, 7 & 8; 3, 5 & 9; 3, 6 & 8; 4, 5 & 8; 4, 6 & 718 = 1, 8 & 9; 2, 7 & 9; 3, 6 & 9; 4, 5 & 9; 3, 7 & 8; 4, 6 & 8; 5, 6 & 719 = 2, 8 & 9; 3, 7 & 9; 4, 6 & 9; 4, 7 & 8; 5, 6 & 820 = 3, 8 & 9; 4, 7 & 9; 5, 6 & 9; 5, 7 & 821 = 4, 8 & 9; 5, 7 & 9; 6, 7 & 822 = 5, 8 & 9; 6, 7 & 923 = 6, 8 & 9 24 = 7, 8 & 9

  • Remember that Killer Samurai Sudoku is an advanced variant of Sudoku and it is highly recommended that you try to complete a normal and also Samurai Sudoku before undertaking these more complex puzzles. These are extremely hard puzzles. They may take days to complete. Just have patience.

Tips

  • Check twice, put a number once.
  • If you’re having a block, stop, and take a break for a couple hours. Take a nap, do some errands, play a game, etc.
  • Another good place to practice your Sudoku skills is in a book. There are many books with Sudoku puzzles in them. Some even have step by step instructions to improve even more.
  • Have contests with your friends or coworkers. Make copies of a puzzle and try to see who can finish the fastest. Doing this once a day or once a week will help to dramatically increase your speed.
  • Use the web-pages below to help you. They are all very useful, but try to stay away from the auto-fillers. Where is the fun if the computer does it all for you?
  • Copy the puzzle onto a grid much bigger than the ones in the newspaper, using a marker. Now solve the puzzle using the bigger squares to clearly write in pencil all the possible numbers.
  • Try to find the obvious first.
  • Go by box, then by row, then column.

Warnings

  • It is considered cheating if you guess at where a number could be. All true Sudoku puzzles are solvable with only logic. If there are two possible numbers that could go in a space and you just choose one and hope it’s right, this is cheating.
  • Before using solvers, try to solve it yourself. Where is the fun if something else solves it for you?
  • For every cell you fill in, make sure you double, or even triple check your logic; one single error could mess up the entire puzzle. If you are almost sure a three can go in a box, triple check why you think this. If there is even a remote possibility of a three going in a different box, don’t put a number down! Many a person has almost finished a puzzle only to find that they put one number in the wrong place.
  • Try to look at the puzzle both ways; rather than working north to south all the time, try east to west. Remember, it’s always a good idea to look both ways before crossing the street.

Things You’ll Need

  • Time
    • 10-20 minutes for easy to medium after you’ve become a little experienced.
    • 30-45 minutes for medium to hard.
    • 1-4 hours for Samurai (unless you are very skilled).
    • 4 hours+ for Killer Samurai
  • Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Patience
  • Logical ability

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Information

Teams/Leagues

Puzzles

Programs

Solvers

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Solve a Sudoku. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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பாரதிதாசன் கவிதைகள்-4: "ஆற்றுநடை"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

நோய் தீர்ந்தார், வறுமை தீர்ந்தார்,
நூற்றுக்கு நூறு பேரும்!
ஓய்வின்றிக் கலப்பை தூக்கி
உழவுப்பண் பாடலானார்!
சேய்களின் மகிழ்ச்சி கண்டு
சிலம்படி குலுங்க ஆற்றுத்
தாய் நடக்கின்றாள், வையம்
தழைகவே தழைக்க வென்றே!

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பாரதி கவிதைகள்-5: "நெஞ்சிற் கவலை…"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

நெஞ்சிற் கவலை நிதமும் பயிராக்கி,
அஞ்சி உயிர்வாழ்தல் அறியாமை – தஞ்சமென்றே
வையமெலாங் காக்கும் மஹாசக்தி நல்லருளை
ஐயமறப் பற்றல் அறிவு.

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பாரதிதாசன் கவிதைகள்-3: "தமிழை என்னுயிர் என்பேன்"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

கனியிடை ஏறிய சுளையும் – முற்றல்
கழையிடை ஏறிய சாறும்
பனிமலர் ஏறிய தேனும் – காய்ச்சுப்
பாகிடை ஏறிய சுவையும்
நனிபசு பொழியும் பாலும் – தென்னை
நல்கிய குளிரிள நீரும்
இனிய என்பேன் எனினும் – தமிழை
என்னுயிர் என்பேன் கண்டீர்.

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பட்டுக்கோட்டை பாடல்-2: "ஆடைகட்டி வந்த நிலவோ…"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

ஆடைகட்டி வந்த நிலவோ – கண்ணில்
மேடைகட்டி ஆடும் எழிலோ – குளிர்
ஓடையில் மிதக்கும் மலர்
ஜாடையில் சிரிக்கும் இவள்
காடுவிட்டு வந்த மயிலோ – நெஞ்சில்
கூடுகட்டி வாழும் குயிலோ?

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இன்றைய சிந்தனைக்கு-3:

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

நீ சுமக்கின்ற நம்பிக்கை,நாளை நீ கீழே விழும்போது உன்னை சுமக்கும்.

– சீ.மதுவிஜய், 12ம் வகுப்பு

நன்றி: தினமலர், மாணவர் மலர், மதுரை, ஜூலை 14, 2008.

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ஆன்மீக சிந்தனை-3:

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

அன்பு விரிவடைவதற்கு ஏற்ப உயிர் வாழ்க்கைக்கு வலிவு அதிகம் உண்டாகின்றது. பிற உயிர்களிடத்து அன்பு பாராட்டுவதற்கு ஏற்ப ஆனந்தம் தன்னிடம் ஒங்குவதை ஆத்மா சாதகன் அனுபவத்தில் காண்கின்றான். ‘அன்பும் சிவமும் ஒன்று’ என்பது ஆப்த வாக்கியம். ‘ஆனந்தமும் பரமும் ஒன்று’ என்பதும் ஆப்த வாக்கியம். ஆதலால் அன்பை வளர்க்கின்றவர்கள் எல்லோரும் பரம்பொருளைச்சாரும் பாங்குடையவர் ஆகின்றனர். – ஸ்ரீமத் சுவாமி சித்பவானந்தர்

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இன்று ஒரு தகவல்-3: "உன்னத சேவை"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam
ஜோஸ், மதுரையைச் சேர்ந்த இந்த 59 வயது இளைஞர், சத்தமில்லாமல் மிகப்பெரிய சாதனை செய்து வருகின்றார். கடந்த 37 ஆண்டுகளில் 147 முறை இரத்த தானம் செய்திருக்கிறார். மதுரை அரசு ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் தினமும் இருபது பேருக்காவது அறுவை சிகிச்சை நடக்கிறது. இவர்களுக்கு அறுபது யூனிட் வரை இரத்தம் தேவைப்படுகிறது. ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் செஞ்சிலுவைச் சங்கத்தை அதன் இணைச்செயலராக இருந்து நிர்வகித்து வருகிறார் ஜோஸ். அவருக்குக் கீழ் முன்னூறுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட கொடையாளர்கள் இருபத்து நான்கு மணி நேரமும் இரத்த தானம் செய்யத் தயாராக இருக்கின்றனர். உயிர் காக்கும் உன்னத சேவைபுரியும் இவர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் நமது பாராட்டுக்கள். (அடிப்படை: தினமலர், மதுரை, ஜூலை 27, 2008)
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பாரதிதாசன் கவிதைகள்-4: "ஆற்றுநடை"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

நோய் தீர்ந்தார், வறுமை தீர்ந்தார்,
நூற்றுக்கு நூறு பேரும்!
ஓய்வின்றிக் கலப்பை தூக்கி
உழவுப்பண் பாடலானார்!
சேய்களின் மகிழ்ச்சி கண்டு
சிலம்படி குலுங்க ஆற்றுத்
தாய் நடக்கின்றாள், வையம்
தழைகவே தழைக்க வென்றே!

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நலக்குறிப்புகள்-7: ஆரோக்கியமாக வாழ…

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam
ஒரு பொருளுக்கு மூன்று பக்கங்கள் (3-D) இருப்பதைப் போல, ஆரோக்கியத்திற்கும் மூன்று பக்கங்கள். உடல், மனம், சமூகம் என்பவை அவை. உடற் குறைவு மனதைப் பாதிக்கும். மனநிலை உடலைப் பாதிக்கும். சமூகச்சூழல் இரண்டையும் பாதிக்கும். ஆகவே இம்மூன்றும் ஒன்றோடொன்று நெருங்கிய தொடர்பு உடையவை. ஆரோக்கியமாக வாழ விரும்புவோர் இதை மனதிற் கொள்ளுதல் அவசியம். – அமரர் மகரிஷி க.அருணாசலம்
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எனக்குப் பிடித்த கவிதை-31: "புத்தகம்" – கவிஞர் வாலி

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

பிள்ளையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் மழலை
பள்ளியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் நட்பு
இளமையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் காதல்
வளமையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் வாழ்வு!

கட்டிலில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் மனைவி
தொட்டிலில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் மதலை
சட்டியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் சோறு
பெட்டியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் செல்வம்!

உறங்கையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கனவு
கிறங்கையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கள்ளு
உறவினில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் காமம்
துறவினில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் ஞானம்!

உவகையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் சிரிப்பு
உணர்ச்சியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கோபம்
கவலையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கண்ணீர்
கோவிலில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கடவுள்!

முதுமையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் ஏக்கம்
முடிவினில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் தூக்கம்
பிறந்தது முதல்தான் எத்தனை படிப்பு
படித்ததை முடித்ததன் பரீட்சைதான் இறப்பு!

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பாரதி கவிதைகள்-5: "நெஞ்சிற் கவலை…"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

நெஞ்சிற் கவலை நிதமும் பயிராக்கி,
அஞ்சி உயிர்வாழ்தல் அறியாமை – தஞ்சமென்றே
வையமெலாங் காக்கும் மஹாசக்தி நல்லருளை
ஐயமறப் பற்றல் அறிவு.

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பாரதிதாசன் கவிதைகள்-3: "தமிழை என்னுயிர் என்பேன்"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

கனியிடை ஏறிய சுளையும் – முற்றல்
கழையிடை ஏறிய சாறும்
பனிமலர் ஏறிய தேனும் – காய்ச்சுப்
பாகிடை ஏறிய சுவையும்
நனிபசு பொழியும் பாலும் – தென்னை
நல்கிய குளிரிள நீரும்
இனிய என்பேன் எனினும் – தமிழை
என்னுயிர் என்பேன் கண்டீர்.

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பட்டுக்கோட்டை பாடல்-2: "ஆடைகட்டி வந்த நிலவோ…"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

ஆடைகட்டி வந்த நிலவோ – கண்ணில்
மேடைகட்டி ஆடும் எழிலோ – குளிர்
ஓடையில் மிதக்கும் மலர்
ஜாடையில் சிரிக்கும் இவள்
காடுவிட்டு வந்த மயிலோ – நெஞ்சில்
கூடுகட்டி வாழும் குயிலோ?

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இன்றைய சிந்தனைக்கு-3:

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

நீ சுமக்கின்ற நம்பிக்கை,நாளை நீ கீழே விழும்போது உன்னை சுமக்கும்.

– சீ.மதுவிஜய், 12ம் வகுப்பு

நன்றி: தினமலர், மாணவர் மலர், மதுரை, ஜூலை 14, 2008.

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ஆன்மீக சிந்தனை-3:

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

அன்பு விரிவடைவதற்கு ஏற்ப உயிர் வாழ்க்கைக்கு வலிவு அதிகம் உண்டாகின்றது. பிற உயிர்களிடத்து அன்பு பாராட்டுவதற்கு ஏற்ப ஆனந்தம் தன்னிடம் ஒங்குவதை ஆத்மா சாதகன் அனுபவத்தில் காண்கின்றான். ‘அன்பும் சிவமும் ஒன்று’ என்பது ஆப்த வாக்கியம். ‘ஆனந்தமும் பரமும் ஒன்று’ என்பதும் ஆப்த வாக்கியம். ஆதலால் அன்பை வளர்க்கின்றவர்கள் எல்லோரும் பரம்பொருளைச்சாரும் பாங்குடையவர் ஆகின்றனர். – ஸ்ரீமத் சுவாமி சித்பவானந்தர்

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இன்று ஒரு தகவல்-3: "உன்னத சேவை"

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam
ஜோஸ், மதுரையைச் சேர்ந்த இந்த 59 வயது இளைஞர், சத்தமில்லாமல் மிகப்பெரிய சாதனை செய்து வருகின்றார். கடந்த 37 ஆண்டுகளில் 147 முறை இரத்த தானம் செய்திருக்கிறார். மதுரை அரசு ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் தினமும் இருபது பேருக்காவது அறுவை சிகிச்சை நடக்கிறது. இவர்களுக்கு அறுபது யூனிட் வரை இரத்தம் தேவைப்படுகிறது. ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் செஞ்சிலுவைச் சங்கத்தை அதன் இணைச்செயலராக இருந்து நிர்வகித்து வருகிறார் ஜோஸ். அவருக்குக் கீழ் முன்னூறுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட கொடையாளர்கள் இருபத்து நான்கு மணி நேரமும் இரத்த தானம் செய்யத் தயாராக இருக்கின்றனர். உயிர் காக்கும் உன்னத சேவைபுரியும் இவர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் நமது பாராட்டுக்கள். (அடிப்படை: தினமலர், மதுரை, ஜூலை 27, 2008)
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நலக்குறிப்புகள்-7:

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam
ஒரு பொருளுக்கு மூன்று பக்கங்கள் (3-D) இருப்பதைப் போல, ஆரோக்கியத்திற்கும் மூன்று பக்கங்கள். உடல், மனம், சமூகம் என்பவை அவை. உடற் குறைவு மனதைப் பாதிக்கும். மனநிலை உடலைப் பாதிக்கும். சமூகச்சூழல் இரண்டையும் பாதிக்கும். ஆகவே இம்மூன்றும் ஒன்றோடொன்று நெருங்கிய தொடர்பு உடையவை. ஆரோக்கியமாக வாழ விரும்புவோர் இதை மனதிற் கொள்ளுதல் அவசியம். – அமரர் மகரிஷி க.அருணாசலம்
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எனக்குப் பிடித்த கவிதை-31: "புத்தகம்" – கவிஞர் வாலி

August 12, 2008 — suriyodayam

பிள்ளையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் மழலை
பள்ளியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் நட்பு
இளமையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் காதல்
வளமையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் வாழ்வு!

கட்டிலில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் மனைவி
தொட்டிலில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் மதலை
சட்டியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் சோறு
பெட்டியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் செல்வம்!

உறங்கையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கனவு
கிறங்கையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கள்ளு
உறவினில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் காமம்
துறவினில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் ஞானம்!

உவகையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் சிரிப்பு
உணர்ச்சியில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கோபம்
கவலையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கண்ணீர்
கோவிலில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் கடவுள்!

முதுமையில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் ஏக்கம்
முடிவினில் படிக்கும் புத்தகம் தூக்கம்
பிறந்தது முதல்தான் எத்தனை படிப்பு
படித்ததை முடித்ததன் பரீட்சைதான் இறப்பு!

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