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It's called "avocado hand," and fans of the fruit – both famous and not – are feeling the effects these days when they slice up their hands or fingers while trying to slice up the avocado.
July 31 is National Avocado Day, and Dr. Sanj Kakar, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic hand surgeon, says he's seen an increase in hand injuries requiring surgery as a result of the rise in popularity of avocados.
Jen Welper, an executive chef with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, says most of the injuries can be avoided with four simple tips.
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"You want to make sure – first of all – your knife is sharp," Welper says.
She says if your knife isn't sharp enough, you'll have to use more force, which increases your chance of something going wrong.
Tip No. 2: "We want to make sure that our avocado is ripe," Welper says. An unripe avocado will be much harder to cut.
Tip No. 3 is about knowing the proper way to cut into the avocado. "[You need to know] how to kind of glide into things, versus trying to just chop," she says.
Taking the pit out can be the last hurdle. "Stick [the knife] into the pit there and then just turn," Welper says.
But the most important advice Welper says she can offer is to slow down and take your time anytime you're cutting fruits or vegetables.
