Rheumatoid arthritis was one of several conditions that Amanda Haas suffered from. She went to an allergist to try to find out what was wrong with her body. An allergist is a doctor who is an expert in the treatment of allergies. And an allergy is a medical problem that causes someone to be sick after eating, touching or breathing something that is harmless to most people. The allergist suggested that perhaps her health problems were caused by the food she was eating. Things like chronic heartburn and stomach pain and back problems. And it was an allergist who said to me one day, Amanda, these are just all different forms of inflammation in your body. I think it's something that you're eating. And since you cook for a living, why don't you go and figure out what's going to make you feel great and share it with other people?' And that is what she did. She stopped eating some kinds of sugars and reduced the amount of caffeine she drank. Haas found that some healthy foods were also causing her some problems. People with joint pain from inflammation, she says, could be sensitive to peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. Haas is a professional cook. So, she started to look closely at the ingredients she often uses in her recipes.