Freshsein
The diet concept appears to change every ten years, however, luckily, at the moment we are living in an era where nutritionists suggest eating the good kind of fats, the good fats. Which raises the question, how can we be certain that we have a sufficient amount of the “nutritious” stuff in our diet?
Well, one of the best options for you, believe it or not is the avocado veggie. This small fruit-bomb definitely radiates in terms of providing the good fats your body requires!
Yet, the growing popularity of avocados means that more and more people are making a very grave mistake when it comes to their health, and it’s landing them in the hospital.
Make no mistake – avocados can be dangerous.
Here’s how to avoid a trip to the ER.
The global phenomena of ‘avocado hand’ is on the rise, but don’t let the cutesy nickname fool you – this medical condition is very real. You’re at risk of succumbing to this ailment every time you get a hankering for fresh guacamole.
Although avocado-related injuries are on the rise, it’s not entirely the poor avocado’s fault. Your knife skills may have something to do with it. Okay, it pretty much has everything to do with it. And if you have poor eye-hand coordination, you can consider yourself doomed.
Don’t worry too much, though – kindhearted surgeons have your back on this one!
“We don’t want to put people off the fruit but I think warning labels are an effective way of dealing with this. It needs to be recognisable. Perhaps we could have a cartoon picture of an avocado with a knife, and a big red cross going through it?”
These cartoon-loving doctors are pushing for warning stickers because they know that being doomed to a life without avocados is just depressing!
So how exactly does one get avocado hand? Well, this sneaky affliction only attacks the avocado-eating masses that don’t know how to properly slice up this buttery piece of heaven.
If you push through a soft avocado a little bit too hard with a knife, you could end up slashing your palm in the process.
Oops, there goes an important nerve in your hand! Well, isn’t that the pits. Unfortunately, this sort of boo-boo is something that only an expensive hand surgeon is qualified to fix.
Simon Eccles, former president of the plastic surgery section of the Royal Society of Medicine, says that the damage to the nerves and tendons can be so severe, that some patients never regain full use of their hand.
He treats about four patients a week for avocado hand at his hospital, where staff are quick to point out the uncanny post-brunch surge on Saturdays.
Is it rude to want to laugh at that last part?
Cathryn Scott, who runs a cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland, wants avocados to come with a health warning – just like cigarettes do! She was out of commission for a week after she tried to cut into an avocado and missed.
“…got absolutely no sympathy for it at all. My husband, children and colleagues just laughed and shouted ‘middle-class problems’.”
Oscar Henson from Bristol, England found out just how easy it is to fall prey to this funny-sounding condition. Oscar was enjoying a nice middle-class picnic in France when he:
“…took the knife and sunk it tentatively into the stone, expecting it to lodge, but the stone was rotten so the knife slipped straight through like butter.”
Even celebrities aren’t immune to avocado hand – Meryl Streep was photographed with a bandaged hand in 2012 after she lost a showdown with the ornery produce.
Self-inflicted avocado hand doesn’t have to happen to you. There are much better ways to deal with this unwieldy fruit.
In fact, David Shewring, vice-president of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, has some great advice on how to properly remove the pit.
“Wrap the avocado in a towel leaving the pip exposed. Carefully use the edge of a heavy sharp knife to chop into the summit of the soft pip, so that it is slightly buried. Holding the knife, so that the pip is stabilised, use a towel to twist the pip out.”
Once you get past the fact that you’re swaddling an avocado like a baby, then you’re almost out of the danger zone! Keep in mind that a knife can easily penetrate the fruit’s skin, so make sure to keep your “palm” fruit off the menu.
Watch this video to learn how to cut perfect avocado slices.