All fingers and thumbs...

No photos of any recent projects for the simple reason that there haven't been any.

I've been taking part in a nutrition study that is, apparently, the biggest in the world. That's quite a claim; but experience tells me it could be true. Have you ever heard someone say they can't lose weight, or say they can eat anything and not put on weight? Well, nutritionists are starting to realise there could be some truth in this. 

The messages about fat, sugar and carbs are too simple. Different people react to them in different ways and this study is trying to find out why. It is thought that the bacteria in our gut influence how we react to food. The ultimate aim is to be able to predict how everyone can live more healthily by following a personalised nutrition programme tailored to their unique bodily composition.

The study is being run from St Thomas' Hospital which is just across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament. There are thousands of participants, mostly twins, and I can't begin to imagine what it is costing. Luckily, a private company is paying for it, as the great NHS has other things to pay for. But if we all become more healthy, society and the NHS will eventually benefit. The private company will obviously also benefit as it is in the business of nutritional drinks.

So what has all this got to do with a knitting blog? I won't go into detail about everything. But part of the study requires regular blood tests. After a one-day training course at the hospital, participants are sent home with twelve kits for taking blood from the fingertips. These have to be used over 4 days. For complicated reasons, you can only use certain parts of certain fingers. My fourth day was yesterday, woo hoo! Did you hear the sigh of relief as I posted my tests back to the hospital? 

But I am now like a bruised pincushion and knitting or crocheting is out of the question until I heal. Even typing is painful unless I do it very slowly, and my fingerprints are no longer recognised by the security settings on my phone! Oh, dear.

I came home from the hospital with 2 bags of freebies: food for breakfasts and lunches for a fortnight, a food weighing scales, drinking flask, and cool bag. There is no financial reward. But I had a very thorough medical at the hospital and will receive a personalised list of which foods do and don't agree with me. If I choose to take any notice, which I intend to, I will become more fit and healthy and happy in the knowledge that I contributed to something important.

Now, I just have to wait for normal feeling to return to my fingers so that I can pick up the knitting needles again.

Meanwhile, I am still busy reading all my favourite blogs. Keep writing!