“Everyday life in Saigon means navigating sugar in everything—from coffee to orange juice—and I can’t have any of it.” – Jane Ha

My guest today is Jane Ha, a researcher in behavioral science who has lived in Hanoi, the U.S., the U.K., and now Saigon. Jane’s story is as much about resilience as it is about culture—living with diabetes in one of the sweetest food environments in the world, while also studying the consumer habits that shape what we all eat and drink.

What struck me most is how her personal challenge with diabetes gave her a unique lens on Vietnam’s rapid changes. She sees both the risks of a sugar-heavy culture and the opportunities in the rise of healthier, sugar-free alternatives. And she links it all to bigger shifts: from Gen Z’s cocktail culture to the way Vietnamese consumers demand convenience, speed, and personalization.

Jane also opened up about the culture shocks of living in Oklahoma and Ohio, where she learned what it really meant to be “different.” Returning to Vietnam, she realized Saigon allowed her to merge all the versions of herself—the East and the West, tradition and modernity—without fear of judgment.

This conversation reminded me how food, identity, and culture are all connected. And how Vietnam, in all its complexity, forces us to constantly rethink how we live.

Main Talking Points

• Living with diabetes in Vietnam’s sugar-saturated food culture.
• How manufacturers and Gen Z are reshaping health trends.
• The psychology of Vietnamese shopping: from discounts to convenience.
• The cultural shift in drinking—from beer halls to cocktail bars.
• The boom-and-bust nature of Vietnamese trends: milk tea to Manuka honey.
• Culture shock in Oklahoma and Ohio, and lessons on race and identity.
• Finding freedom in Saigon as a bridge between East and West.

Chapters & Timestamps

02:05 | Life with diabetes in Vietnam: sugar everywhere.

10:40 | Health awareness, sugar taxes, and new consumer trends.

20:15 | Vietnamese shoppers: price-sensitive or value-driven?

29:30 | Gen Z’s changing drinking culture and the impact of zero-alcohol laws.

41:00 | Cocktail bars, milk tea, and why some trends boom then bust.

45:20 | From Hanoi to Oklaho

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