A friend of mine, Joanne, told me that she knew that her diabetes must be "acting up" because her vision was a little blurry in the early evening light on her porch. I asked for clarification and she said that she had noticed that when she had blurred vision, it was time to hydrate, check her sugar and have at least a small snack. 
Vision issues are a well known concern of people that have diabetes. At first, I was shocked by what she said, and then I thought back to a very bad cold that I had a year ago. I felt absolutely awful. No matter what I did, I was tired. All that I wanted to do was sleep. A friend called to check in on me, waking me from my sleep. When I went to answer the phone, I had a hard time focusing on the name displayed on the phone screen. 
At the time, I blamed the vision issue to sleeping so much and being tired. When I was done talking with my friend, I went to the bathroom, had a snack, and got a drink of water. Climbing back into bed, I pulled up social media to have a look at what the world had been doing while I was asleep. The words were still slightly blurred. I grabbed my reading glasses, but there was still a blurred edge to the letters. 
Frustrated, I went back to sleep, blaming it on being "tired". When I woke the second time, everything seemed to be resolved, and I did not think about the incident again until Joanne told me about her blurry vision incident.  
When I went to the eye doctor for an exam, I remembered the incident and relayed it to my eye doctor, expecting them to dismiss it as coincidence. They went into detail about the risks of diabetes that is not in good control or monitoring. Blurry vision can occur when a diabetic is dehydrated because the body is doing everything that it can to keeps all systems go. When you are dehydrated, the actual shape of your eye can change. Your body can be so low on fluids that you are unable to tear properly or unable to tear at all. 
Additionally, dehydration affects your blood sugar levels. As your bodily fluids become more concentrated, your blood sugar levels will rise. It is important to consume adequate water in warmer weather to avoid overheating, which can also spike blood sugar. In cooler weather, we have to be mindful because we may not feel thirsty because we are not hot. 
When my optometrist and I talked, I asked if the 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day was the number to aim for. He suggested that I look at some of the water calculators that are online, and to be very honest when I filled in the information to get a good idea of where I needed to be. 
The water calculator that I chose is ​rehydratepro.com/hydration-calculator/ It allowed me to put in all of my information, including the fact that I really don't exersize as I should yet. (Baby steps, but I am not there yet.)
With all of the input, 1.85 liters or, 65.11 imperial ounces is the amount that I should consume every day. (Just barely over the 8 ounces per glass, 8 glasses per day recommendation.) There was even a suggested breakdown of ideal water consumption, 3 glasses in the morning, 3 glasses in the afternoon, 1 in the evening and one at bedtime. 
Here is how I have broken down the consumption to get it all done in a day:
Morning

1. After brushing teeth
2. With antihistamine
3. With snack at work

Afternoon

1. With Lunch
2. With snack at home
3. With supper

Evening

1. With evening snack
2. After brushing teeth

It took a little work to get all the water in, and this is water. Not juice or other beverages. Those are liquids that have to be processed, which is work for my body. Water is a worker. Big difference. 
Since I have made it a point of consuming enough water, my vision problems have not occured again. Even if I am feeling under the weather, I make it a point to keep hydrating, which also helps to flush my system. 
Hydrate for the sake of your vision! 

I have been reading up on different sugars and substitutes to be better informed. 
Today's product was agave nectar. I thought that would be a good substitute because of all of the health benefits, after all, it is from a plant, and not a chemical plant! 
I read online about agave nectar. The health benefits of agave don't come from syrup. Only raw, cooked or dried. Syrup isn't that. So, agave is off the list. Apparently, it breaks down into 2 different sugars. One of them processes through the liver, and excess sugar through the liver can lead to diabetes. Imagine if you already have diabetes! 
Here is the article that I read if you are interested in reading it for yourself: www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/1134994/health-benefits-of-agave-nectar/
I was actually debating replacing Log Cabin ( a very bad choice, but it is what I currently have in the pantry) for this syrup. However, it looks as though maple syrup would be a far better choice. Looking at where sugars are processed is important for sugar alcohol. 
The journey of diabetes is filled with a lot of good and bad information. I strive to research as much as I can so that I am making the most informed choices possible. I appreciate you being a reader here.
What is a sweetener that you learned about and no longer use? Leave your comments below.