Brussels sprouts top the charts

This vegetable bursts with nutrition; I don’t even know where to start with my praise. This mini cabbages top the nutrition charts in many regards. They deliver more glucosinulates than any other cruciferous vegetable. Glucosinolates are phytonutrients that our bodies use to produce a variety of cancer-protective substances.
They also deliver a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. One cup of Brussels sprouts has more than double the amount of vitamin K you need daily and more than your daily need of vitamin C. Vitamin K is important for healthy bones and proper blood clotting.  It also has serious amounts of folate, manganese, vitamin B6 and other minerals and vitamins.
The origins of Brussels can be traced back to the 16^th century to a region near Brussels, hence the name. During World War I this vegetable spread throughout Europe. Nowadays, they are cultivated everywhere.

Asparagus

A Natural Diuretic

Asparagus is a very good source of potassium (288 mg per cup) and quite low in sodium (19.8 mg per cup). Its mineral profile, combined with an active amino acid in asparagus, asparagine, gives asparagus a diuretic effect. Although some popular articles on asparagine link this amino acid to the distinct urinary odor that can follow along after consumption of asparagus, research studies suggest that this odor stems from a variety of sulfur-containing compounds. Historically, asparagus has been used to treat problems involving swelling, such as arthritis and rheumatism, and may also be useful for PMS-related water retention.

Food for Healthy Gut Flora

Asparagus contains a special kind of carbohydrate called inulin that we don't digest, but the health-promoting friendly bacteria in our large intestine, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, do. When our diet contains good amounts of inulin, the growth and activity of these friendly bacteria increase. And when populations of health-promoting bacteria are large, it is much more difficult for unfriendly bacteria to gain a foothold in our intestinal tract.

Especially if you're thinking about becoming pregnant or are in the early stages of pregnancy, make asparagus a frequent addition to your meals. A cup of asparagus supplies approximately 263 mcg of folate, a B-vitamin essential for proper cellular division because it is necessary in DNA synthesis. Without folate, the fetus' nervous system cells do not divide properly. Inadequate folate during pregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, including neural tube defects like spina bifida. Despite folate's wide availability in food (it's name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning "foliage," because it's found in green leafy vegetables), folate deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world.

Avocado

The healthy kind of fat

The name avocado has its origin in the Aztec word ahuacatl. The avocado tree has been cultivated in Central and South America since 8.000 BCE. In the mid-1800s it spread through the Asian tropical regions. Indian cultivation started at the beginning of the 20^th century with seeds from neighbouring Sri Lanka.

Although avocados have a lot of fat, they belong to the healthiest fruits of our planet. I own a book called 100 Best Health Foods, which features avocado on place 2. They should not miss in any healthy diet. 

Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of breast cancer. In addition, it offers a lot of lutein, a carotenoid which enables the body to absorb nutrition from other food sources. If you add some slices of avocados to your salad, your body can make greater use of the nutrients in the salad.

The large amount of vitamin E in avocados boosts the immune system, keeps the skin healthy and prevents heart disease. The list of nutrients in avocados includes magnesium, vitamin C and B6, folate, iron and potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.