Not a bad idea. Although if you heard his speculation about how much chewing gum would you have to swallow before you noticed it coming out the other end . . .
The puking thing is the same with his mother and sister. Personally I think it is a low blood-sugar thing, just like you get after riding through the night. WeCyclists know that the answer is to get a small easily digestible bit of food down, then 20 min later you'll be up to a large meal.