Lesbian, certified nutritionist and out-and-proud carnivore Emily Bender answers your questions about healthy eating.

Dear Emily:

I was shocked to find out the amount of fat that buttered popcorn contains. Can you inform us of other high-fat foods we might not know about?

Honestly, I wouldn't eat popcorn without the butter! Plain popcorn doesn't offer much besides an unhealthy spike in blood sugar. The butter offers some small amount of fat to slow down the carbohydrate digestion.

We all have to stop being so afraid of fat! OK, brothers and sisters, repeat after me: Fat is my friend! Fat is an essential nutrient, and we need it. What you should really be afraid of is trans fat, otherwise known as partially hydrogenated oils. These are found in all kinds of processed foods and crackers. It is so bad that even the very corporate-friendly, Bush-era FDA requires it to be on labels now. Partially hydrogenated fats are unsaturated vegetable oils that have been highly refined and processed to make them solid at room temperature, like saturated fats. However, their chemical structure is different enough from a true saturated fat that your body doesn't have the tools to break it down. They can become part of your cell walls and go on to cause damage throughout the body. There is evidence that points to trans fat -- not saturated, fats such as those in animal products -- as the heart disease culprit. Remember -- "transgender," good; "trans fat," bad.

You'll find trans fats in most commercial baked goods, peanut butters (except the all-natural, peanuts-only kind), margarine, vegetable shortening and all kinds of chips and snack foods, among many others. You have to become a fiendish label reader to avoid it. Food manufacturers like it because it is stable, cheap and has achieved nearly eternal shelf life. Our bodies hate it for the same reasons. Put away the Crisco and get out the butter!

Now, if what you really want to know is "What are the most surprising foods that can cause weight gain?" -- that's a different question. Number one on my list would be soda pop, which may not contain any fat, but can certainly make you fat. One 12-ounce can of soda contains 33 grams of sugar, 133 calories and no other nutrients to speak of.

Number two would be those midafternoon baked-goods snacks. Those mid-morning or late-afternoon scones and muffins have a similar issue. They are mostly made of white flour, which means they don't contain much in the way of fiber, vitamins or minerals. They may or may not be low in fat, but any fat they do contain may be hydrogenated. These empty foods actually deplete our bodies because we need more nutrients than they contain just to digest them. They are a nightmare for your blood sugar balance because they cause a sharp rise and then a drop. That's a recipe for crankiness and more sugar cravings. In addition, eating nutrition-free calories doesn't satisfy your body's needs, so you will just crave more food until you get some good stuff in there. Hello, extra pounds.

So drink water or tea, and when you are hungry, have something nutritious, like apples and cheese, a turkey sandwich on wheat bread or some hummus with cut-up veggies. By making the calories you eat really count, you won't need to count calories.

Thanks for all the interesting comments on the column. Yes, I do read them. If you want things clarified, send me a question for the column and I'll be happy to respond. Keep reading!

Gay nutritionist Emily Bender, M.A., N.C., is a Bay Area certified nutrition consultant specializing in tailored gourmet nutritional plans for LGBT individuals and families. She offers in-office and telephone consultations. For more information, visit http://www.gourmethelping.com.

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