text: is drinking 8 8oz juice the same as drinking the 8 8oz of water? i like drinking the crystal light it has only 5 calories and it tastes good, i used to be a heavy coke drinker like almost six pack a day!! until i started my diet, so i think i am going thru some withdrwals lol, so can you please help me. withdrawal symptoms from coke (or any other caffeinated drink) is a definite reality. thankfully, withdrawal symptoms are usually gone after 5-7 days.  there are two ways to answer the rest of your question. are non-caffeinated drinks as healthy as drinking water? purely from a hydration perspective, "yes" drinks like crystal light are an acceptable alternative to drinking water. if you are trying to lose weight, crystal light could be a negative if you are drinking a lot of it in a day.   you could try the sugar-free powder drinks to cut out the calories. i personally prefer stevia (especially the liquid form). it is totally natural and has no aftertaste. but if you can't find it, i'd recommend splenda over products like nutrasweet and sweet and low. there are less reports of negative side effects.