Hello, first post, here. I started a low carb diet almost 3 months ago, due to a persistent high blood sugar scare, that I'm pretty sure now, was caused by a defective glucose meter.

Anyway, I eliminated virtually all carbs from my diet about 3 weeks ago. I'm vegan, if that matters, so this has meant eating just a wide variety of raw nuts (I've even gone so far as to stop eating "high carb" nuts like cashews and pistachios), seeds, vegetables, oils (lots of MCT oil), sea salt and vitamin supplements (cal/mag/zinc, B12, milk thistle, papaya enzyme). I started that about 3 weeks ago. I felt extremely weak for about the first two weeks, so much so that I all but eliminated my cardio and weight lifting routines, and have slowly started increasing my exercise just over the last few days.

For about the last 10 days or so, my feet and ankles have been very swollen, which is my main health concern now, and the reason for this post. Other than making my feet swell up and making me extremely weak, eliminating carbs from my diet hasn't had any noticeable effect.

I saw my doctor last Monday (6 days ago), and he did a blood test. It showed that my iron and blood proteins were both low. I started eating lots of canned spinach (which I read was an even better source of iron than canned). Everything else from the test was normal.

My doc had an interesting theory about the low protein. He said that this made my blood more aqueous (having less "stuff" in it), forcing water into the interstitial fluid, which might be causing my feet to swell.

On this theory, I tried consuming both more fats and protein for the next few days, but that didn't reduce the swelling. So, figuring that my body might have so much protein that it's just turning it into glucose, and then burning the glucose as it's primary energy source (which might explain why my protein was low). So, I've been consuming more fat and LESS protein for the past few days, but so far that hasn't had any apparent effect.

So my main question is, why have my feet been swollen?

And, on a side note, does anyone know where I can find info on the actual physiology and biochemistry of what happens during the "switch," when a person's body adapts to a ketogenic diet, and starts burning fat instead of carbs? I've seen a million websites that say that's what's going on and you'll start feeling better, etc., but none that explain the actual physiological details.

Thanks!